Redeeming the demon
by DatDude
Summary: It is said that if Redemption weren’t possible for everyone it wouldn't be worth anything. This is the unlikely start of Gendo’s long journey.
1. Chapter 1

It is said that if Redemption weren't possible for everyone, it wouldn't be worth anything.

This is the unlikely start of Gendo's long journey.

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter one: "Points of contrast"

Gendo Ikari stood in an elevator, on his way to the main medical wing of NERV. A sharp stabbing sensation shot through his hand as he impulsively flexed it. Ikari's face remained unchanged, though he was certain that the creature that was now embedded in his hand squirmed under the pain. Putting the pain out if his mind, Gendo began to mentally assess the day's events to get a better grasp on the situation.

_The implantation operation was a complete success, despite Dr. Akagi_'_s warnings. Awakening to see that look on the doctor_'_s face, for a moment I was concerned that rejection with Adam had moved faster then anticipated. If nothing else, our time together has taught Ritsuko Akagi the importance of a stoic attitude. The degree of distress in her face was unlike her, and her speaking in _that _tone of Rei being injured was not at all stoic. _

_Details are nonexistent, Section Two is abnormally silent, but one thing was certain : Rei is hurt badly. An accident would not alarm Dr. Akagi in that manner _– _or make her unwilling to mention sketchy details. The fact her great dislike for Rei is hardly a secret made the pity in her face very unexpected._

_Something has more than likely happened to Rei that is the result of some great blunder. Section Two, fearing my wrath, are either gathering evidence for an accusation, because they dare not approach me if they lack solid proof; or they are covering for themselves._

_Between the anesthetic and the length of the operation, I was out of contact with central dogma for 120 minutes. For the entire duration Fuyutsuki was present on the command station. This, coupled with the time of day involved, makes lack of competent response unlikely. What information my brief report from Section Two gave no signs of anything abnormal until the alarm was raised. I must look into the security protocols regarding the pilots to establish fault in the matter._

_Normal circumstance would have this matter be handled by Section Two alone, but given the lapse in information, and the possibility of a security foul-up, this requires my direct intervention. I will personally see to it the one responsible for this is made to pay greatly._

Glancing briefly at his watch, Ikari noted that thirty-three minutes had passed since he'd awakened and that he still lacked a complete accounting of what had transpired in the first child's apartment.

Crowded halls soon gave way to patient rooms as the NERV Commander's presence compelled the others in the hallway to part like the Red Sea before Moses.

Reaching his destination, the first thing to catch his eye was the form of Unit-One's pilot sitting on the floor, outside the room set aside for Rei. For a moment Gendo looked at his son sitting there with his knees pulled into his chest, face stained by tears, and sobbing softly.

The commander spoke in his trademark emotionless tone.

"Report, pilot."

Shinji looked up weakly, barely noticing his father, and remained too distressed to speak.

"You were the first to discover the incident, weren't you? I require your report."

The degree of annoyance in his father's voice brought a look from Shinji, but no words followed. The contempt on Gendo's face echoed in his thoughts.

_Just another sheep, weak and full of fear, Instrumentality will be a blessing to his kind, far too weak to be my son or Yui_'_s._

Taking yet another disapproving glance at his only son, Gendo spoke again.

"I require information!"

"Commander Ikari, sir! I didn't know you had arrived."

He turned to face the new arrival, and saw his Director of Operations in what passed for her uniform.

_At last, a pawn that can be made useful, thought Gendo as he replied:_" Report Captain"

If the young woman knew her Commander's true opinion of her, her voice betrayed nothing of it as she spoke.

"Yes sir! Of course, sir! Last night, I took the children out to dinner as a reward for beating the last Angel. When we got home after dropping off Rei, Shinji found her NERV ID in the front seat. There was a synch test scheduled for this morning, and he didn't want her to be late.

"Shinji got up early this morning, and took the train over to give it to her. I got a call around 45 minutes ago sir. Shinji was frantic. I called Section Two, and rushed over. I was the first officer on the scene, sir."

"Doctor Akagi is in Surgery Room Four with Rei now. I'm afraid it's still too soon to tell if she'll survive, sir."

At the sound of the last bit of information the commander's normally emotionless face took on an angry scowl.

Ikari took little time to absorb the information before coming to a decision.

_Failure could not be ignored, and this lapse in security put the entire timetable at risk. _

_It appears I_'_ve directed matters from a distance too long, an oversight that allowed for a lapse in Section Two_'_s discipline. That mistake needs to be corrected at once. Yui always did say that mistakes were to be learned from._

_Most likely Section Two made a tremendous blunder, and are unwilling to face my wrath. Considering the nature of the timetable at this stage, this matter must be settled at once, and personally. I_'_ve come too far and done too much to have my grand plans undone by the errors of lesser men.  
_  
Having heard enough, the Commander turned to leave, his mind already formulating plans to repair the damages. As he walked past his son, a brief moment of déjà vu over came him – leaving his son crying alone in the halls of NERV after a tragedy, while he attended to greater matters. Ikari paused only briefly, before he buried the feeling and continued on his way down the hall toward the elevator.

Misato stood there watching Shinji for a few long minutes, wondering what to say, what to do. It had been months now since she'd taken Shinji home with her, and nearly a month since Asuka had joined them. Two children now in her care, and even though she'd grown closer to them – Shinji in particular – moments like this still mystified her mind.

_What do you say to a kid at a time like this? He_'_s so upset over Rei, that he should be seeing her like that. How do you help someone after seeing something so terrible?_

She spoke in a soft voice as she sat down next to him, hoping to comfort him with her presence.

"Shinji, it's going to be all right. Ritsuko's one of the best doctors in the world. Rei will be OK, and I promise you that we will find the person that did this."

The Third Child's head rose slightly, and turned just enough to see his guardian. His words came out as a hushed whisper.

"She thought I was him, when I found her. Her eyes... she could barely open them from the swelling so she though I was my father. Rei thought he'd come to help her, but he doesn't even care."

Somehow, without her noticing, Misato's hand had drifted across to Shinji's and he was grasping it for all he was worth, like it was it all that kept him together, while his guardian absorbed what he just said

_Every thing we put these children through, you think we_'_d at least owe them that, a little compassion. Is that the real reason I took you in Shinji? You deserve so much better then this, your father, this war, me. I_'_m supposed to be your guardian and half the time you_'_re taking care of me. You clean up after me, cook, and pick me up off the floor at 2:00 AM after Ritsuko and I go drinking..._

_I_'_ll do better Shinji, for all of you, I swear._

Time just seemed to slip by as the two sat there quietly, each lost to their own thoughts, until a sharp electronic ringing began to sound from Misato's jacket pocket. Using her free hand, she retrieved the phone, brought it to her ear and began to speak.

"Hello?... Yes, Hyuga he's with me... I know that, but considering the situation, and Rei's condition we should put it off. "

Shinji looked up at his guardian and watched her face take on a look of regret. The young pilot squeezed her hand a little tighter, knowing that they'd have to let go shortly, and exactly why they would have to.

"You've got to be kidding me!.. He didn't want to put off the test?.. I'll be down in a bit. Call Maya and tell her for me... Thanks Hyuga."

Replacing the phone in her pocket, her face softened as she turned to Shinji and spoke in soft words.

"Shinji, we have to go down to the lab. There's still the sync test for you and Asuka."

The pair stood, hands still together, and Misato led Shinji over to the elevator and began their trip to the lab.

Commander Ikari seated behind his desk, glaring silently at the Head of Section Two. A man known in intelligence circles for having ice water in his veins was sweating like he was on Death Row. Which by the sound of his report to the NERV commander he might well be.

"It seems, Sir, that due to a clerical error involving the allotment of man power, there was a gap of fifteen minutes at the beginning and end of the third shift protecting the pilot's home."

The man swallowed hard after speaking the last word, knowing it may be his last. Watching Gendo Ikari sit, hands folded, watching him explain away the brutal attack on one of his pilots as a paperwork screw-up, he knew his odds of leaving this office alive were good, but the odds of him living another 24 hours were in doubt, as Ikari replied.

"Explain."

As the Commander began to speak in his trademark flat tone of voice, betraying no emotion, the Head of Section Two wondered if he'd fed his pet cat before leaving for work that morning.

"I dislike repeating myself, Major. Explain the paperwork error that caused this."

_After so many years I find it hard to recall why I placed this man as Head of Section Two._

_Was it his record, or background?_

_No. Seeing him cower like this reminds me I needed a loyal flunky. He mainly managed the day-to-day grind of Section Two while keeping the élite under my direct command._

_This clod is far from a rare talent like Dr. Akagi, or, as much as I hate to admit it, Captain Katsuragi. They have abilities of use in the grand design, that allow me to cater slightly to their eccentricities, like the need for sexual companionship, or the much more distasteful need to dress like a whore while on duty. _

The coward's words brought Ikari back to reality.

"Sir, when the first child was the only pilot on the roster, a limit was placed on the number of man hours to be spent watching an Eva pilot. At the time this was more then enough to secure her safety. When the Third joined NERV, we divided the resources and were still able to watch both of them equally. The problem happened when the Second Child join us from Germany, Sir. The increased need to track her much more active movements required us to place more man power on the team watching the Katsuragi apartment. This left a very small window at shift change at the First's apartment, Sir."

The man's eardrums focused on his own heartbeat, wondering if he'd be shot to death anytime now by his own commander. There had been a joke floating around NERV for the last few years, that Commander Ikari liked his women young, hence explaining why the First Child only seemed to spend time with him, when not on duty. At that moment the Head of Section Two didn't know whether to pray it was true or false. In truth, he reflected as he waited for Gendo's monotone reply, he'd settle for either one, as long as it was a factor on him living to see Friday.

"Is there a reason why you did not just assign more men to the unit guarding the children, Major?"

The Head of Section Two swallowed hard, as he was about to deliver what he felt would be the last sentence of his life.

"I submitted a request for more manpower to your office, Sir. Twice. Last month, when the problem started."

Ikari sat silent for nearly a full minute, contemplating his response.

_Placing this fool in command of Section Two was allowable during the construction of the city. Then things were more simple, and intrusions far easier to manage. Enemies circle the board now and Selee is far less trusting then it once was, I must correct my oversight. _

Many options were open to the NERV Commander, and many of them were unpleasant. Fortunately, there was nothing to be gained by removing this fool from the mortal coil

"Major, you are removed from command. Go now and do not return."

The man bowed slightly, and placed his report, tucked in an old fashioned manila folder, on the edge of Ikari's desk. Putting the fool and the incomplete report out of his mind, Ikari retrieved the phone from his desk. After he dialed from memory the wanted number and spoke a single word.

"Akagi?"

Replying promptly as always, the voice on line spoke.

"Brimelow box."

Things must have gone well in surgery, or she'd have her assistant monitoring the test.

With a hint of concern in his voice, Gendo spoke a second time.

"The First?"

As before the reply was prompt, and without details.

"Room 402."

Mentally Ikari sighed, knowing full well the man on the other end of the line knew his real reasons for asking about Rei.

_Akagi, in all likelihood, didn_'_t have time to file a verbal report before going to the test. Is this fool unable to look at a camera feed from Rei_'_s room? Too many fools operating without the direction from those with true vision. I will need to take a more direct hand in things from this point on._

Realizing that Section Two would not be able to report accurately on the nature of Rei's injuries, Gendo replaced the phone on his desk and headed for the Brimelow box, dismissing the report that sat on his desk.


	2. Chapter 2

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter Two: " Revelations and Accusations"

Ritsuko Akagi sat at her terminal and tried to focus her thoughts on the task at hand.

_Asuka is waiting in the plug._

_Maya has the Magi set to record the synch test, and all we need now is Shinji.  
_  
The terminal registered Shinji's entry into the system and began recording results.

Ritsuko sat up in her chair after hearing footsteps entering the room.

_Misato was walking Shinji to the plug because she needed to talk to him on the way,  
and Maya was on an errand. That left one other person with reason to be in the room with her.  
_  
"Report."

Gendo's voice confirmed her notions, as she turned away from monitoring the test.

"The Second Child is synching at her normal level, and the Third is only at half his previous score."

Taking a breath, Ritsuko felt uneasy in her stomach.  
_  
The smell of disinfectant still on my hands, and for the first time in years its bothering me. Am I the only one that_'_s being affected like this?_

"And Rei?"  
_  
No pity or concern in you voice, even for Rei? Would there be for me, if I were in her place?  
_  
Gendo's voice bringing her back to reality, the doctor continued, with an uncharacteristic tone in her voice.

"As things stand now, I'm not sure if she'll survive. The Magi are processing the samples Section Two gathered from the scene. It seems there was some contamination after the fact, so I couldn't gather one from Rei when she was brought in. As for her injuries, the left eye is badly damaged, a broken wrist, neck wounds consistent with strangulation, and broken glass removed from one knee."

Taking a moment of pause in the doctor's explanation to absorb the information, and form a response, Gendo spoke, again with not a hint of emotion.

"Does this require a replacement, or can she be salvaged?"

Registering the slight change in her lovers' voice, the Doctor wondered if anyone else would notice.  
_  
Maybe you're not made of ice after all.  
_  
"I know it's been a month since the last backup, but after the rape, I think it's the most humane option."

Gendo's eyes fixed on the screen displaying the synch test, or rather the time display in the lower right hand corner, and there was a more noticeable change in his voice.

"I've been awake, for sixty-one minutes, and only now do I know the details. Unacceptable. "

The Doctor removed her glasses and turned her chair as she spoke.

"You didn't know till now? I take it we have an opening in Section Two, then?"

"It's for the best. An officer that allows an oversight like that doesn't deserve command."

Misato Katsuragi walked down the long hallway leading to the main elevator shaft for this part of Nerv, lost in her thoughts.  
_  
I should be working out a temporary protection plan for the children, with my people until Section Two can get its act together. I just feel so numb, between Rei_'_s apartment, and that look Shinji_'_s had on his face since I found him. Today_'_s been a nightmare.  
_  
Her footsteps echoed as she walked, and she began looking around nervously.  
_  
How long have I lived alone now? A single woman, in an unoccupied building, and I_'_ve never once been uncomfortable. Hell I_'_ve walked home from the bar a few times when I was too drunk to get the keys in the ignition, and I was never this jumpy.  
_  
Entering the elevator, she took a deep breath.

"Glad that's over! It feels like I'm running from ghosts."

A smooth voice came from behind her as the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"You can always sleep with me, if they keep bothering you."

She turned around, and quickly placed her hand on the gun inside her bomber jacket.

"Kaji, this is not the time for your damn elevator games!"

He responded by putting his hands half into the air, playfully signaling his surrender.

" I give up, don't shoot."

Taking her hand of the gun and trying again to make herself calm down the Captain frowned.

" I'm sorry."

Kaji took a step forward, and put his arms around her.

"It's all right, I talked to Ritsuko's assistant, and she filled me in.

"How is Shinji?"

Misato spoke softly.

" Bad.

"After what he saw, I be worried if he wasn't upset, but there's something else I can't place. This should never have happened, not to some one so important. There is no reason why Rei should have been living in that neighborhood."

Kaji leaned in close, whispering himself.

"Be careful, you never know who's listening."

Taking a step back, and breaking the embrace, Misato's voice turned angry, even is it was still a whisper.

"Like I don't know that! But he is her guardian, it is his fault!"

"What good does it do you, to get your ass on his hit list by saying so?"

The elevator came to a stop, and the door opened, ending the conversation. Misato exited without giving Kaji another look, leaving him puzzled.  
_  
That woman is going to get herself into trouble if she_'_s not careful. The kind of trouble, some dashing type could rush in and save her from, maybe? But why get this worked up over the kid you_'_re not living with, and have no bond to?_

_This feels like old demons rearing their heads. It would be a hell of a lot smarter for me to just do my job, and get the hell out, alive, but I_'_ve never been a smart man now have I?_

_I think I_'_ll finish my errands, and look into this a bit. _

Shinji Ikari floated in his plug, eyes shut, trying to concentrate on the test, hoping it would keep other thoughts from his mind. It was peaceful, almost, in the entry plug – when there's no Angel trying to kill you, that is.

The peace however was short lived, as a voice came over the intercom.

"And just where have YOU been, Baka? I not only had to take the train in myself, but have been sitting in this plug for nearly an hour!"  
_  
Damn it, Asuka.  
_  
The instruments monitoring the test registered a lapse in both pilots' concentration from this point on.

"I don't want to talk about it, Asuka."

There was a measured rise in the red hair girls' blood pressure, as she spoke again.

"Ho! Is that so, Third Child? You waste my valuable time, and have no excuse? I can't believe I'm being treated this way around here. Imagine – you and wonder girl both decide to be late on the same day. You two have a date or something?"

The Magi recorded another drop in the Third Child's synch ratio, and silently kept the test going, as the Second continued to rub salt in a wound she didn't know existed.

"Don't talk about her!"

Asuka smiled knowing she'd hit a nerve.

"Say, where is your girlfriend anyway, Shinji? Still in the shower?"

Gendo turned from the Doctor as Misato entered the Brimelow box.

"Captain, your report was incomplete. Explain yourself."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Sir."

The air temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees, as the Commander, and his third officer seemed to have entered a staring contest.  
_  
Is this woman too soft for the matters ahead, or simply not as useful as I once believed?_

"You failed to mention the rape. Why?"  
_  
You would rather have an unproven guess, or a pilot that MIGHT get through a battle?   
_  
"I'm not a doctor, Sir."

"You've had field command in Africa, and Egypt. You know what a raped woman looks like, Captain. "

To her credit Misato didn't show any of the fear most did when standing eye to eye with Commander Ikari.

"Any suspicions I had, Sir, would have been just that. I though it best to just supply what facts I had. Anything else would have damaged Shinji even more. "

"I have no room for clouded judgments, Captain."

Looking over her Commanders' shoulder at the ignored computer screen displaying the synch test, Misato tried to hide her anger.  
_  
Taking your goon squad's mistake out on me, are you? Jackass.  
_  
Still standing eye to eye with Gendo Misato spoke.

" Yes, Sir. "

Walking straight for the door, forcing Misato to move aside, Gendo made his exit. Two old friends exchanged hostile glances, and Ritsuko spoke.

" Getting on his bad side is not a good idea. "

" What's the status of synch test Doctor? "

Ritsuko finally turned her attention back to the screen.

" What the hell is going on in there? "

" What do you think, Ritsuko? No one cared to look, so things went from bad to worse. I'll handle it, you can write up the report."

Again walking through the NERV medical wing, Gendo paused at the door of Rei's room.  
_  
_

_No guard, splendid. _

_Entering he stood beside the bed and looked down at Rei._

_You were the one that NEVER failed me, Rei. Yui_'_s plan is almost finished, and I couldn_'_t have gotten this far without you reminding me why I do this. My wife would have been proud of you Rei, and your dedication. All we need to do is finish our war with the Angels, then move heaven and earth just a bit. Once that is done you can come with me, and meet your mother. Just hang on a bit longer, please.  
_  
Looking at her bruised and bandaged face Gendo raised his hand, and brushed it against her face.  
_  
Everything will be OK, Rei.  
_  
A dull pain shot through Gendo's hand as it began to sink into Reis face, and the sleeping girl winced in pain. Pulling back his hand, and removing the glove Gendo stared the embryonic Adam in its eye.

" Damn you and your kind for this. "

Looking again at Rei, she slept uneasily, like in a nightmare. Gendo frowned, replacing his glove and walking out of the room.  
_  
I can wait a day. If she wakes up by then, I won_'_t need a replacement.  
_  
Removing a cell phone from his jacket as he went, he dialed a number in the phone's memory.

" Agent Kaji "

The ever-present monotone voice was abnormally silent for one full minute.

"Location, elevator 2B. Likely destination pilot locker rooms. Also present Captain Katsuragi, likely same destination."  
_  
Hum the double agent and the whore. Those two should be kept apart, to remain viable pawns.  
_  
Hanging up the current call he dialed another number.

" Agent Kaji, my office, ten minutes. "

Just as he finished speaking, all the lights in the hallway went dark, and a dull grinding sound came over the phone for few seconds.

" Commander Sir, I think I'm going to be a bit late. "


	3. Chapter 3

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter Three: " Standing alone"

Gendo Ikari walked through the dark halls of NERV.

While others around him clung to sources of illumination, Gendo had no light; he'd long ago become accustomed to walking in darkness.

Seeing his subordinates covet pitiful things like a key chain flashlight, a cell phone or even a cigarette lighter to act like a candle in the night, gave Gendo a deep swell of pity.

_Fear of the dark, it keeps them from seeing. There is ample light _– _they just need to let their eyes adjust.  
_  
Bewildered NERV personnel watched their Commander turn a corner, and disappear into the blackness, wondering how he could see in the blackout.

_  
Fools! This building is just a pyramid cut into a collection of smaller pyramids. Once you realize the symmetric design, it's child_'_s play to know where you are at all times._

_Not that that matters now. NERV is crippled without main power, and the backup systems haven_'_t come on yet. That means the Professor has put everything into MAGI life support. Bastards had to pick now. The scrolls say an Angel attack is likely. However since, Rei is in medical care, our ability to respond is cut by a third.  
_  
Gendo reached the end of the hallway, and opened the emergency access ladder. Climbing hand over hand into the passage, he tried to bury the anger, but Rei's face wouldn't leave him. One name burned into his thoughts.  
_  
Keel, I know you are responsible for this blackout. It reeks of your arrogance. You want to remind me of your position, while testing NERV's ability withstand an act of espionage of this caliber. You_'_ve attacked me Keel, but did you have my pilot raped? God protect you if you did. No one else will._

_Because of you, a whore and a traitor have been entrusted with the fate all... I can only hope I_'_ve kept them far enough apart to keep them from realizing it._

Exiting onto his desired floor, Ikari turned to meet the gigantic form of Unit One clad in its restraints. Looking up at what was at the same time everything he loved and everything he hated put all other thoughts out of his mind.  
_  
Nothing else matters but Yui, and my reunion with her. I know she would not approve of my methods, the lives I_'_ve ordered snuffed out, and the people I_'_ve used. Yui was the only one that could make a human being out of me, but in her absence I_'_ve had to make do on my own._

_I find it strange, despite all the time I spent pondering the universe and my place in it as a youth, that I now know exactly where I am and why. I stand alone, because of weakness. Yui knew that to prove the viability of Evangelion, and forge a future for mankind, one of us had to accept the agony, and she was always the stronger. _

A source of light appeared in the distance, waking Gendo from his thoughts. The voice of Ritsuko Akagi called out in the dark.

" Ten minutes ago a technician named Hyuga borrowed a car and drove through a few check points. We have an Angel dripping acid on our heads. "

_Forgive me, Yui._

" My dear Doctor, I'm glad I have you to rely on at times like these. Tell me – how prepared are you for what we must do?"

" Careful. Maya's not too far behind me. Don't want her to find out, do you? And to answer your question, I've got two officers digging the generator out of storage. We can use that to arm Unit Two with the back up battery pack. "

" We need to prepare Unit One. "

" The Third is unusable. Mental distress has pushed his sync ratio to dangerously low levels. "

" The Captain and I were on the phone when the power was cut, and she didn't mention it. No matter. Assuming she's successful we'll have the Second here shortly, and she will have to do. I'd prefer to pin my hopes on Rei, rather than that emotional brat, but we will make do until she recovers. "

" So you've made up your mind then? "

" If she's alive in the morning, and she's coherent within a month then yes. The confusion she suffered after her first replacement lasted too long to risk, unless we have no other choice. Take whatever you need from the shells to restore her body. "  
_  
Ho, Gendo, I know you love that girl, even if you have trouble showing it – and me too._

Misato sat in the corner of the elevator, watching Kaji alter the various wires behind the control panel, while she reflected on her orders.   
_  
There was something about the way the Commander talked to me, when Kaji handed me the phone, and he explained what we needed to do. The way he kept hinting that I should keep _"_my_" _guard up for the saboteur, and never _"_you and Agent Kaji_"

_The attack on Rei was too close to this to be coincidence. Was the Commander trying to warn me?_

_The scary part is, I know that look in Kaji_'_s eyes when he_'_s up to something.  
_  
Kaji turned just enough to spot her out of the corner of his eye.

" So Misato, who knew Ikari was so handy? "

" What? "

" He talked us through using the emergency lights to try and get the door open. "

As if on cue, the elevator door let out a dull hum and slowly started opening. Misato stood and handed Kaji back his phone.

" It's a good thing we're not quite at our floor. You'll be able to get into the shaft and use the emergency ladder to get down to the next level. There's a back up generator on that level. If you can get it running we can start to bring NERV back to life. I'll go get Asuka and Shinji."

" Are you sure? With the Magi down, I'll need to hit four substations to reset breakers, before I can even get started. You want me to help get Asuka and Shinji out of the test pods first?"  
_  
The fact that you know more about the power grid then you should isn't helping your case Kaji.  
_  
" The Commander said there's an Angel expected to make landfall in a hour or so. We need that power for the EVA launch system. "

Kaji took a step closer to her, and Misato tensed up.

" How the hell's he know that, with the power out? "

" I don't know, but we've got a job to do so get to it."

Leaving Kaji in the dark, Misato walked down the hall, trying to not get lost. As she went, she idly put her hands in her pockets, finding a small palm sized package. Removing the item and inspecting it she couldn't help but smile.  
_  
That_'_s right _– _my promotion came through. I think it's official today. _

_I should be happy, I guess. I get rewarded for doing this, using children as weapons. The sad part is there really is no other way, and it_'_s ironic that I think like that. It could have just as easy been me in one of those things, if my father had his way.  
_  
Turning into the room containing the test chambers, Misato heard a series of dull thuds. Looking around the room for the source, her eyes fixed on Asuka's pod. The redhead, sighting her guardian, pounded on the glass with both fists.

Walking closer, Misato relaxed.

" Calm down, Asuka. I'll have you out in a minute. "

The girl's face turned the same shade as her hair as she screamed into the LCL, and pointed away from her pod, toward Shinji's.

Turning to her left, Misato's eyes fixed on the window of Shinji's pod, and her heart skipped a beat. Unlike Asuka's that was clear enough to see the trapped pilot, Shinji's was murky and dark.

" SHINJI! "

Running to the rear of the pod, Misato grabbed the manual release lever. Pumping for all she was worth, Misato vented the LCL and opened the hatch. Shinji's limp form fell to floor with a wet thud. The air smelled of bile.

Running to the boy, Misato rolled him onto his back and pushed on his chest with both hands to force the LCL from his lungs. As Shinji gasped for breath, Misato whispered a prayer of thanks.

" Its OK. Just breathe. Everything's okay now, Shinji. "

Looking up at Asuka, her face was contorted; she could almost be crying. Misato stood, and walked behind the other pod repeated the process of venting and opening, but more slowly this time.

She watched the red haired girl forcing the LCL from her lungs, and coughing a bit as she took her first breath of air in over an hour. She spoke in an almost sobbing voice.

" Bitch! This is your fault for not telling me. Baka got angry when I talked about Rei, and he started to scream at me. When the power went out, we both got shocked and he swallowed some LCL. Then he throw up, and the pod couldn't scrub the fluid with no power. You almost killed him! Not me. "

Kneeling in front of the girl, and moving a lock of wet hair from her face, Misato spoke softly, but firmly.

" Asuka, when Shinji called me this morning, he was almost screaming into the phone. It was all I could do to run out the door, and you weren't even awake yet. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but none of it matters right now."

"There is an Angel over our heads by now and neither Rei or Shinji can pilot in the shape they're in. We need to get you to Unit Two, fast. "

" I have to go out there myself? "

Hearing the uncharacteristic tone in the girls' voice, Misato knew it was time to act like an officer again.

" Lets go, Pilot. We've got a job to do. "

Asuka watched as Misato turned from her, gently helping Shinji to his feet and whispering something softly in his ear as she helped him to walk.

Asuka's face hardened as she walked passed them towards the elevator.

" Yes Sir. "

The pain in Gendo's hand got worse as he and three other men pulled for all they were worth on a chain that lifted Unit Two's entry plug into position.

" You've got it. "

Gendo released the chain as Ritsuko spoke, and, gasping for breath, mentally swore he'd find the time for a morning workout again.

As if fate was mocking his physical discomfort, the overhead lights came on, and several very tired NERV officers cursed out loud.

Looking over at the good doctor, Gendo smiled slightly as she took his glance as an order, and removed the remote MAGI terminal from her pocket.   
_  
If only the rest were half as competent ... Rei would be unharmed  
_  
" We have have 10 to 20 minutes tops. It's dripping acid fast, and it's eating a hole straight for us. Good news is the thing's ... 60 meters from an EVA launch point. "

" Doctor, what is the location of my pilot? "

Inside elevator 2B, heading for the cage, Asuka stood silently.  
_  
_

_Stupid fucking Shinji! Why did you have to go barf in the plug? Misato, why are you coddling him? I_'_m the one about to go fight for my life, and everyone else too. Wonder girl gets raped, and the world stops. Serves her right for living in that slum. _

_Doesn_'_t anyone care about me?_

_Any minute, that door's going to open and I_'_m going to have to go kill that Angel all by myself. _That _will show them that they shouldn_'_t treat me this way.  
_  
Across from her, Shinji could barely stand. He looked on weakly as the German girl shook in fear of fighting alone for the first time.  
_  
I_'_m sorry Asuka, sorry for being weak, worthless, and stupid enough to gag myself. Don_'_t die please; I don_'_t want to watch that.  
_  
The boy's mouth moved slightly, as if to speak, but at that point the elevator door opened and his companions interrupted him by walking out. He followed after a moment of confusion.

Gendo meet the group as the left the elevator, and as impossible, as it seemed, Shinji felt worse about himself as Misato and Gendo spoke.

" Sir, I regret to report that there was a malfunction in the test pod life support system. The Third Child almost drowned. I recommend that he be held in reserve and Asuka engage the enemy in Unit Two. "

" Captain, it was anticipated that he would be unusable, and we are prepared to proceed without him. "

" Major. "

"Oh. Yes. Of course. Now, time is short. Get the girl into the plug, and launch. "

Misato watched as Gendo walked away, not even noticing the condition of his son.

Asuka walked at a quick pace to the entry plug, as Misato held her breath until the EVA launched and room was filled with the noise.

" Asshole. "  
_  
To hell with bad parenting, you do not treat some one under your command like this. This kind of disregard for the pilots is disgusting._

Asuka's heart raced and the EVA shot up through the complex to the surface, and the waiting angel.  
_  
No baka-Shinji to slow me down this time, or Wonder-Girl. I_'_m all alone, and I_'_m fine with that. Time to show everyone, what a real pilot, can do.  
_  
As she hit the surface, her eyes fixed on the counter to her left. 29.50 minutes of power remaining.  
_  
No power cord, no back up, all or nothing Asuka.  
_  
Moving the EVA forward, she sent a mental command to release her weapon of choice from its hiding place in the upper left restraint, and took it in hand.  
_  
Maybe I should have stopped half way up, and got a rifle? Wait! What am I thinking? Those stupid things never work.  
_  
A hot, burning sensation came through the EVA's left side and she gritted her teeth as she spun the giant war machine around to meet her attacker. The giant spider-like angel thrust one of its legs, and Asuka moved just enough to avoid taking a hit to shoulder.  
_  
Wait a second these aren_'_t the normal battlements, they're buildings! No power means the city is not in its battle formation!  
_  
The beast thrust another leg to the opposite side of the EVA, pinning it to the building, and lifted itself up to eye level with the trapped war machine. Its one giant eye fixed on the only thing between it and its goal, and fired another stream of acid.

In the entry plug, Asuka felt burning sensation on her face. She saw 25 minutes left on her timer.  
_  
Fuck this.  
_  
As she brought the EVA up to full power, and the clock went down to five minutes, Asuka smiled as the acid bounced off her AT-field like rain on windshield.

" Someone doesn't have a very strong AT-field now, does he?"

Grabbing both legs that pinned her, Asuka squeezed them tightly and bent them with all her strength. The redhead growled slightly as they broke in her hands, and she kicked the Angel onto its back with one shot. Moving the EVA over top of her foe, Asuka smiled a little wider as she remembered something.  
_  
I dropped my knife when you hit me, so I can use my new toy now. Sorry for this really, but I_'_ve had a bad day, and I_'_m taking it out on you. No scratch that, I_'_m NOT sorry. Bye now.  
_  
Fixing the targeting lock on the Angels core, she fired the concealed spike launcher in her shoulder pylon, and watched the Angel squirm as it died.

Looking at her clock again she saw 2 minutes, and thirty seconds left. With a grin she dialed the power back, and the time went up to 12.5 minutes.

" Unit Two to command. The Angel is dead. Confirm. "

Nothing but silence followed.

" Right. They are still turning the lights back on. "

Turning the power down to life-support-only-mode Asuka half ejected her entry plug and stood up to look around with her own eyes.

The city was a wreck from the fight, and the angel's unchallenged rampage up to this point. A powerful smell came from the leftover acid and dead angel.

" Smells worse then Shinji. "

Everything that happened today came back to her, and she lost her smile.

" No one is going to care, are they? "

She climbed back into the plug and waited.

Next: "Getting it right, Getting it wrong"


	4. Chapter 4

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter Four: "Getting it Right, Getting it Wrong. "

Gendo walked through NERV's medical wing. He looked abnormally pale, and walked in a robotic fashion. As he went, he tried to ignore the knot in his stomach.

_Concentrate, Ikari! This is a minor distraction, one that may yet be corrected._

His stomach voiced its objection, and Gendo cut to his left. Busting through a door, he vomited in a bathroom sink.

_Knowing my way around blindfolded comes in handy again._

Looking at himself in the mirror, Gendo didn't like what he saw.

_All of this has pierced your armor, old man. Admit that, and deal with it._

Looking back at the sink, he beagn to clean him self up. He remembered to only remove the glove that didn't hide Adam.

Once again, looking at his reflection, he saw Fuyutsuki looking back it him.

"Not feeling well, Ikari?"

Gendo looked around the room, ensuring it was empty. He whispered a silent prayer that he'd not missed his mark, and ended up in the ladies' room.

Making eye contact with older man, he wondered if he should say anything. Then he remembered who recommended him for the job.

"Fuyutsuki. If you plan a murder in great detail, and then have second thoughts… Are you a murderer? "

To his credit, the older man didn't bat an eyelash, almost like he was expecting this.

" Why don't we retire to your office? Then you can start from the beginning. "

Misato walked to the fridge, and grabbed her third beer.

_Two days, and this place is still so quiet. I miss the sound of Asuka and Shinji bickering. I miss the sound of Shinji cooking, and Pen-Pen begging for food while he_'_s at it. How did things get this bad this fast?_

She opened the can, and something very unexpected came over her. The sound was just grating and the taste more bitter then she remembered, or liked. For the first time she could remember, Misato walked over to the sink, and poured the beer down the drain.

_I don_'_t want this; I want to know what the hell is going on here. Shinji shouldn_'_t be taking this so hard. It_'_s almost like he's seen this before. I read his entire Section Two file when he moved in. There is no record of anything like this. Of course, Section Two has been performing _so _well lately. _

Turning around, Misato walked to Shinji's door and knocked softly.

There was no answer.

She slid the door open just enough to pass through, and gently closed it. In the dark room, she heard a faint sobbing.

Walking to the futon, she knelt down, and peeled back the covers to reveal Shinji. The boy was curled up in a ball, tears running down his face. He looked up pathetically at his guardian and spoke.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. "

_You don_'_t even know what you_'_re saying, do you? You might as well be saying nothing; you_'_re in so much pain. But why?_

Gendo sipped his coffee, and looked his old Professor in the eye once again. The entire walk back to his office had been silent. It was time, Gendo realized, to speak.

"I ask again: if you plan a man's murder, then have second thoughts, before you strike the blow, what does this make of you?"

" I'd say, it would make you someone with issues, but not a murderer. Not until the deed is done. "

Gendo remained silent for four full minutes before speaking again.

" Yui wouldn't have approved of Instrumentality would she? "

"That depends. If stealing control of Third Impact from an Angel, one EVAs couldn't stop? Then yes, she'd approve. She'd want the world we know to have a chance at a future.

Though if you are asking me about our current … arrangement … with Selee, she'd have called Keel a fat old man, trying to buy his way out of Hell."

The older man spoke again.

" Why the change of heart, Gendo? It's unlike you. "

Gendo looked down into his coffee cup, unable to raise his head.

" Rei. I had to be the one to question her on the rape. She wouldn't respond to anyone else.

"The details are disturbing, even for someone with as much blood on his hands as myself. Her final revelation was the worst. There was a fifteen-minute gap at the beginning and end of the third shift protecting Rei. Her attacker got in and out in that gap. During the entire span of time he was there, she made no effort to summon help.

"I asked her why. She looked up at me, and she said 'It didn't matter … I can be replaced. '"

Gendo's voice took on a hit of pity as he spoke.

"Rei lay there dying. The entire time between when he left, and when she was found.

Their was a car with two agents one hundred feet from her window.

The girl is utterly convinced she has no value whatsoever, save following my orders.

Fuyutsuki, I have done things my wife would not forgive."

Asuka sat on her futon with a sad and annoyed expression on her face.

_Congratulations Asuka! You beat the Angel, and saved us!_

_Shinji_'_s been in his room the whole day, and Misato_'_s just drunk. Bitch!_

_None of them care what I did. That I could have gotten killed, because Baka puked all over himself!_

Standing up, and walking out of room toward the kitchen, Asuka tried to bury her anger.

Looking around, she saw the room was empty and dark.

_Great! This means either bad take-out, or bad cooking if Misato_'_s taking care of dinner. Screw this! I am getting out of here._

Walking over to Misato's bedroom door, she took a deep breath, and got ready for the smell of the place as she knocked.

Hearing nothing, she angrily slid the door open all the way and barged in. The room was empty.

" What the hell? Did she run out of beer or something?

No. Somehow I don't think, she could drink THAT much. "

Walking to Shinji's door, Asuka saw it was open a crack. She peeked in, and all the blood drained out of her face.

Misato was in Shinji's bed.

She watched eyes unblinking, as there was movement under the covers, and a very soft voice, " Oh, Shinji. "

Turning fast on her heels Asuka stormed back into her bedroom, grabbing the backpack containing her schoolbooks, and dumped it on the floor. Filling the bag quickly with what seemed like three sets of clothes, she ran from the apartment.

After reaching the elevator, she all but punched the ground floor button. The German girl sat on the floor, and curled up in a ball.

_How could HE no, how could SHE do that? It isn_'_t bad enough that she has Kaji; she needs to take Baka too._

Standing as the door opened, and walking out onto the cold concrete sidewalk, Asuka realized she had neglected to take her shoes with her.

_Screw it! I_'_m never going back there._

Asuka walked off into the night, not seeing a tall shadow following behind her.

Fuyutsuki tried to remember the tone of voice he'd use to console a student with a problem. At the same time, he tried not to forget who he was talking to.

" Do you know why I took this job, Gendo?

"You made an exceedingly good effort to get me to sign on. Truth be told, I didn't buy in to it. "

Gendo raised his head, and the older man knew his old speech was working.

_I only hope that I don_'_t lose my audience._

" When I got to my car, Yui was sitting on the hood, and she didn't look happy. That woman knew I had something up my sleeve, and didn't want me to use it."

Pausing for a moment to again take a drink, Fuyutsuki noted Gendo's tension.

_Thank God. He may actually be listening._

" I voiced my concerns about Selee, and manipulation of the public. I went into the things I'd seen that day, and how they could be used to all the wrong ends. Then something happened I didn't see coming: she got angry. At first I really didn't know how to react, but I got her message it was pretty simply.

"Humanity had no future, unless something was done to stop the Angels. Any chance at a future is better then none. She made me realize that it would be a mistake to out the program, and the truth about Second Impact. I was able to stop my efforts to out everything. "

Gendo's face returned to its normal stony nature.

" Once the avalanche has begun, it is too late for the pebbles to vote, Fuyutsuki."

The old man smiled, as he responded.

" When I was thirty-eight, I had an affair with one of my students, and by the time of that meeting, she was an aide to the UN Secretary General. A man not on Selee's payroll.

"She had everything I had, along with proof of where I was meeting you. Just in case I didn't get to go home."

Gendo returned the old man's smile.

_Yui, thank you for the Professor. He has wisdom. _

" I think were she here, old friend, she'd say something along the lines of – 'You can change the future, not the past.' -

"I need to think. Do you mind watching things until the Major comes on shift?"

" Not at all. I'll see you tomorrow then evening then? "

" Farewell. "

As Gendo walked from the room, Fuyutsuki checked his watch.

_The good Doctor is off shift in an hour, and seeing I was the one that relieved the Major at nine AM, I'm in for a twenty-six hour day. I'd ask Ritsuko to stay a few hours, but I have a feeling that would interfere with Gendo's plans for the evening. _

_I'm a sentimental old man, when I hope those two lost souls can heal each other. If I'm wrong, and that old joke Section Two used to pass around about Gendo is true. That he likes his women young, almost as much as he likes being a mind-bender. _

_Yui thought more of him then that, and that means I have to, as well. If she was right, the battle with the 18th Angel will fall to him alone._

_Forever ago, I saw the world end with my own eyes. I spent a thousand years, just remembering how to talk, after that. With so much to catch up on, I couldn't remember what I wanted to say that entire time. _

_Later, in college, I met a man, and we lay together for seven years. I could remember then. I never asked him though, because the whole time I was with him, it was like we could read each others minds. I hoped he'd answer it, without me actually asking. _

_He didn't, and when we parted ways, I forgot again, until I met a girl in Germany. _

_The girl was so much like me. I could tell she had the same questions, and the same trouble remembering. I'd have talked with her, but we were too alike. We hid our pain the same way. _

_I'd managed for so long without asking, I thought the question wasn't important anymore. _

_Then just fifty or sixty years ago, I picked a boy up from the train station, and asked him hold the weight of the world. I took him home with me, and at first I thought it was just to make sure he didn't drop it. Then, bit by bit, I forgot what it was like, to not have him there. The question started nagging me again after that, and even now that he's screaming it in my face, I can't remember. _

_A year or two ago, I walked into the boy_'_s room, and he started screaming it through apologetic sobs. I'm trying to remember what I wanted someone _– _anyone _– _to say to me all that time ago, but I can't. I sit in the dark, holding him as he cries, and glance at mirror on the wall. It_'_s broken. I remember breaking it myself, and sticking it in this room to be forgotten. _

_I look into the broken mirror, and I see the girl I was staring back at me. She reminds me what it is that I should say, and I lean in close to the boy._

"Oh, Shinji, its OK. Tell me what's wrong, and I'll help. I hate seeing you in pain. I care about you. Let me help, please."

_He talks for a week, and speaks words a child never should. I hold him for a few days, till he falls asleep in my arms. Then I look at the mirror, and the girl I used to be reminds me I take care of more then one kid. I leave the room and find the girl missing. _

_I dress quickly and go looking. At the door of the apartment, I pause for a minute. The doctors used to call me crazy, and give me pills to block out the world when I would think this way. _

" One of my kids is missing. I don't have time to be crazy. "

Asuka looked over her shoulder, for the fourth time.

_There really is someone following me, isn't there? _

_Think, Asuka! You're alone in an alley, barefoot, and someone_'_s following you. Possibly a rapist. You're not scared, not at all. You have eight years of élite training, a bag of clothing, a cell phone, and no shoes on._

_Nope, no reason to be scared!_

Stepping on the fourth rock in as many minutes, she heard more footsteps behind her. Taking shelter behind some garbage cans, Asuka forced herself to stop and truly think.

_I'm barefoot: running is not an option. I'm in a nearly empty neighborhood: screaming is also out. My cellphone is off and plays an enchanting little J-pop turn when I turn it on. With him so close, that makes the phone a dumb idea. _

_I need more to work with, and fast._

_Lets see. I have dirt, filth, rocks, and garbage. _

Seeing a tall, masculine, shadow on the wall to her left, Asuka picked up a hand-sized stone. Rolling the stone in her hand, she huddled behind the can, hoping the unknown pursuer would pass her by.

The shadow grew closer, and a man's face poked over the can. Asuka started shaking.

" There you are, you little bitch. I've gone to a lot of trouble finding you. "

Asuka stood trembling with fear, and the rock slipped from her hand.

The man - now seen to be dressed all in black - looked at Asuka. And his eyes grew as wide as silver dollars. Unable to keep eye contact from the terror, the girl looked away.

_Momma. _

" There is something you should remember about female dogs: we travel in packs. "

Looking up, she saw Misato standing behind, and to the left of, the man. Her arm was extended, and her gun was at the back of his skull.

" Who are you? "

" Lee, Section Two. I was following standing orders and protecting the Second. "

" Pal, those standard orders say you have to contact her direct superior in case of suspicious or unauthorized movement. I do not remember getting a phone call! "

" She ran away from you. I figured finding out why would be smarter. "

" Smarter, like following a fourteen year old girl down a dark alley and not identifying yourself? Considering the current situation, who's in a worse situation? Me, for truing my back long enough to take a piss? Or is it you, with the gun to your head?"

" Granted. I offer my apologies. "

" Get out of my sight. "

Still shaking, Asuka looked up at her guardian. Misato's face, was tear-stained and, with the agent gone she too, was shaking.

The older women knelt down on the filthy ground, and slowly put her arms around her charge.

" You scared me half to death! "

Without really realizing it, Asuka placed her arms around Misato.

" I'm sorry. "

END

Next: " Crossing the line. "


	5. Chapter 5

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter Five: " Crossing the line "

Gendo entered NERV's motor pool, and took a deep breath.

_Just a bit of rest, then I can continue my labors. The Doctor will be over to examine Adam, and will likely be of use in unraveling a few of the problems at hand. _

Reaching his usual car, he noticed his usual driver smoking a cigar near his staff car.

" Sergeant. "

The man dropped his cigar and jumped to attention.

" Commander Sir! I'm sorry, Sir! "

" It's alright, Sergeant. I'm not one leave here often, or regularly. Give me the keys. I'll be driving myself."

The Sergeant looked a bit confused, but handed over the keys. He seemed about to speak again as Gendo cut him off.

" No, Sergeant, I don't want an escort. Tell my normal security detail to stand down, and inform the guards at my home that I'll be an hour at most. "

" Sir! Yes, Sir! "

Gendo sat down, and turned on the ignition. He drove through the gated lot, and pulled the car onto his private train to the surface.

_How long since I've done something as simple as this for myself? Ritsuko and I used to go driving before we got the artificial day and night cycles working right. We stopped after that, because that's when more people started filtering into the geo-front regularly. _

_We can't have the commander of NERV spending time with the Head of the E Project off the clock can we? Not when the E Project Head is half his age, and an attractive college graduate. _

_That would be unacceptable for a man in my station. _

Reaching Rei's apartment building, he parked the car and got out.

Walking past a sleeping bum, and entering the building Gendo was struck by the smell of the place. It was a wet mix of mold and urine. Walking to Rei's apartment, he removed the bright yellow crime scene tape, and looked around the small dimly lit two-room dwelling.

_Why did I place her here, again? Was it that the room had the same dimensions as the lab she was born in? _

As his eyes found a chalk outlined blood stain on the floor, he lost his train of though; and knelt down for a closer look. Spying a bit of glass overlooked by investigators, Gendo held it up to the light.

_Looks like prescription glass . . . Wait! the failed activation test, Rei kept my broken pair. This was the glass they removed from her knee. _

Without a further thought, Gendo started opening dresser drawers. Then he placed the four school uniforms, two matched pairs of socks, and half a dozen pairs of undergarments onto the bed, and proceeded to wrap them in the dingy sheet and walk towards the door.

Stopping at the doorway he turned, and set down his impromptu sack. Walking around the room once more, Gendo found one pair of shoes under a pile of old bandages.

" I'll buy her a new pair. "

He left the apartment at a brisk pace.

Kaji entered the cheapest motel in town, and gave the guy behind the desk a glance.

_Third new face this month. This place's turnover rate is bad. Good thing Section Two agents are all in shape and tend to not read porn on the job. Even in a city I'm positive had intelligence gathering concerns addressed from day one of planning, there are still places you can slip under the radar. _

Passing a god-awful framed picture in the hall way, he tool a minute to check his reflection.

_Unshaven rogue look, check. _

_Sweets for my sweet, check._

_Bottle of so-so European wine a Japanese girl wouldn't know from Dom Perignon, check. _

_Intelligence gathering may be dangerous, but it has its upsides. _

Entering the dimly lit room, things didn't seem right. The smell of his lover's favorite incense candles was missing, and the room in general was so humid, the AC probably wasn't even on.

" You're late. "

Turning slowly to face the speaker, Kaji locked eyes with the unexpected sight of Misato, with her pistol drawn. His old love's face looked alien. Far too hardened to be the girl he'd once known.

" Wow! I knew Ikari was going to try something sooner or later, but I never figured you for one of his cleaners. "

" You're lucky Kaji. As a soldier I can't respect a leader that treats lives like they're so cheap. Ikari is on my bad side lately."

" Then why the gun ? "

" Because, I know how much you love to play both sides against the middle. I also know how you've been getting MAGI access. Poor little Maya, she doesn't even realize you're cloning her ID card every time you meet here. Such a shame her access isn't as high as you'd think. Then again, it doesn't need to be, what with how she's attached to Ritsuko's hip all the time. "

" Nothing personal really, they change the cards so often its the only way to keep up with security. "

" I know, I'm the one that came up with the idea. I'm the Operations Director, remember?"

" Misato, this isn't a damn Bond movie. Its considered good form to get to the point. "

" Sorry, I'm a soldier, not a spy. I want to help you get the information you're after, and a bit for myself as payment. "

" You really aren't a spy. You should really keep what you're after to yourself. "

" That part I worked out for myself. I haven't mentioned what information I actually want or what for. "

" Good, then about that gun . . . "

" My ID card is in the Bible in the dresser, along with two post-it notes. One has the security schedule on it for tomorrow, the other one is from the MAGI. They should get you what you want. Just remember I get first pick. "

" Deal. But one catch. Tell me how you figured out what I was up to. "

" That was simple. Ritsuko told me. Maya has a nipple ring. "

Kaji laughed despite the tension in the room.

" What ? "

" Maya follows Ritsuko everywhere at work, swimming in the LCL is no exception. She noticed the ring about the time you came to town, and I remembered how you liked mine. "

" Still have that ring? If you're in the mood for playing spy, I'm happy to oblige. "

Misato lowered her gun and turned for the door.

" You damn well know I just got that horrible thing so you'd shut up about the damn handcuffs. I pawned the fucking thing in Berlin, a long time ago. "

Misato stopped for a second and dropped a small silver object on the ground before continuing out the door.

Walking over and picking up what appeared to be a small handcuff key, Kaji took a deep breath.

" I am not even going to pretend this is a thinly veiled come on, I'm just not that lucky enough today. "

Kaji walked into the bathroom, and found Maya black and blue, handcuffed to the shower head squirming. He uncuffed the young woman, and removed the strip of Duck-tape from her mouth. She then fell to the floor sobbing.

Putting his arms around her, Kaji wondered

_This is more than old ghosts isn't it? Hell, more like very real daemons._

Gendo entered his study and collapsed into his chair.

_All of this is getting to be too much. I need to get back my center. I screwed up. Nothing new for this old man. Section Two can be overhauled easy. The core group under my direct command is full of well-trained personnel I can promote. Best part of that is coming from the dark, so to speak. They know what I can do if they cross me. _

_Thats issue one. Two is not so easy. _

_Finding the Selee dog that did this, and sending him back to Keel in cigar box. I know that damned cyborg would cut close to the bone to remind me who he is, and what he could do. I figured it would be me or maybe a NERV officer close to me, but this is to much. _

_Yui designed that man's eyes or eye whatever the hell that thing is on his face. He'd think twice about this if she was still here. _

For a brief second Gendo closed his eyes, and for a second saw Yui in Rei's place wrapped in bandages.

" If you can hear me, you mummy, I know about the BIOS flaw in your genitals! Two hundred Yen at Radio Shack and you're having an uncomfortable hardware replacement! "

Taking a deep breath, Gendo remember he spent more money on keeping his home free from eavesdropping than some countries spend on food.

_This wouldn't be necessary with Yui here, even if we had to use Instrumentality. That woman would make the old men in Selee listen, she always did. _

" I know you're not gone, love, but I wish you could tell me what to do next. "

Gendo's one good hand tapped his keyboard, and an artificial voice called out.

" Remote MAGI link engaged. Biometric reading confirm Ikari, Gendo. Command? "

" Surveillance review mode. Children."

The screen turned itself on, and he was shown Rei in her bed. The readout registered two files for review.

" Show all files, times four speed. "

A nurse with gray hair taking blood, and Ritsuko stopping by to check on Rei sped by.

_Judging by the stamp she should be here shortly. _

The MAGI continued in numerical order, bringing up a picture of Asuka, sleeping on her side.

" File red flagged by two out of three MAGI vote. Review at once. "

_The time-stamps are four hours old. I need a Section Two lead now. _

Asuka leaving the building alone at a late hour played, and Gendo raised an eyebrow.

_Sneaking out, are we? I hope I don't need to look through physical scan data to check for pregnancy, or drugs. Kyoko always said she was a handful at that age. _

Misato, looking disheveled, followed within fifteen minutes, and they both returned ten minutes later.

An attached report by a Section Two agent was starting to look like letter of resignation when Ritsuko entered the room.

" Hello, Gendo. I noticed a pile of clothing by the door. "

" Oh, they're Rei's. That apartment was disgusting. She should have complained. I'd have moved her. "

" Rei, doesn't complain much, not in her nature. Like some one else I know. "

" Are you implying something, doctor? "

" Yes I am. You have an infection. "

" What? "

" You hate things out of place, but you left that bag by the door. You're not folding your hands and looking all stern either. Your hand must be killing you. "

Allowing himself a rare smile, Gendo removed his glove.

" It's on fire. I had to use the ladder to get around during the blackout. "

" This is bad. Any chance I could get you to let me remove this? "

" When is the point of no return? "

" Yesterday. "

" My luck holds. Adam's fully integrated, then? "

" No, thats not possible, but it's close enough to let you do what you need to. The infection will make its immune system regenerate faster, and conflict with yours. If we remove it soon, I might be able to save your hand. "

" And if I do not, my dear? "

" You've got maybe six months, no more. What's the timetable look like? "

" Nine Angels down. That's six to go, eight if we have to count Rei, and that thing Keel is growing in Berlin. "

" Do they count? I wasn't sure. "

" I don't have a damn clue. Lilith didn't come with clear instructions. "

Noticing his poor attempt at a joke didn't calm the young doctor, Gendo stood, wrapped his arms around her, and spoke.

" We will make it work, we always do. "

Leaning in closer and kissing her, Gendo felt her tense and pull away.

" Aaa! You taste like LCL. This is worse then I though. I need supplies from my car, I'll be back in a minute."

Looking down at Adam grafted to his hand, Gendo's face contorted with anger.

" You are the start of all of this, you argent monster. Playing god like you have the right to. I will end your kind before this is done. "

Ritsuko re-entered the room with a twelve gauge needle in hand.

Next: When victims finally speak.


	6. Chapter 6

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter six: " When victims finally speak "

Rei sat in the shower, letting the hot water rain down on her.

_I am unclean. I am damaged. Why have I not been replaced? Why do I still exist?_

This was her fourth shower of the day, and no more effective then the other three. Hearing the dull hum of the room's main door, Rei stood and turned off the water.

She dried herself quickly, and with her eyes closed, so as to not look at the scars that crisscrossed her body.

_The eye was replaced, nothing else matters. _

Dressing in a bathrobe two sizes too large, she exited into the main recovery room and looked for her nurse. She found Shinji instead.

" Hello Rei. They told me it was OK come and visit. Do you need anything? "

There was a long moment of silence, as if she needed time to process his words.

_I am of no use any longer – why does he concern himself with my well-being?_

" Rei, I just wanted to stop by … and let you know I'm thinking about you. "

_They tell me he found me, and it was not the Commander that held me until help came. I do not understand why. _

" Misato said she's suggesting that you move into our building. It would be easier to keep an eye on all three of us that way. Asuka doesn't like living we me too much, so you two could be room-mates, even.

"If you don't like that I can talk to Misato for you. "

" Why? "

" Um, Asuka is kind of a pain to live with. I like her and all, but she complains a lot. "

Rei looked into Shinji's eyes with a puzzled look on her face.

" No – why do you care? "

Shinji took a step back, and thought hard.

" You protected me when I first got here, when you really had no reason to.

"I need to go now Rei. I have to help Misato with something. Is it OK for me to tell her you'd like to live in our building?"

" No, I am to live with the Commander. "

" Rei, are you sure? My father's not the kind of person Misato is. He doesn't care much about others. "

" You still do not believe in him, do you? "

" No. I really can't after ... Promise me you'll call if you need me, OK? "

Rei nodded, as Shinji left, his thoughts stuck on Rei and his father.

_Even now, she only thinks about him, and what it takes to get his approval. Bastard! he probably did worse to her then ... Oh forget about it. It's not like he treats anyone any better. _

_I just wish that she could have met some one like Misato, that cares. I don't know why she does, and I know she must be risking a lot. _

_Just look at me, I don't know why she would go to all the trouble. _

_I just look at Rei and wonder if I care about myself as little as she does. Not like anyone ever made me feel like I was worth a damn, till I came here._

_I wonder if my Mother was still ... would I have to live like this?_

_Mother. What little I remember about her, is that she used to talk about hope a lot. I forgot what that was, till I meet Misato. _

_I'd love to be there, and at least try to help, but I don't think he'd let it happen. _

Gendo stood in his office, cold and hallow as any part of NERV. He was watching Ritsuko sew up the incision in his hand, where Adam once sat. To his credit, he didn't squirm an inch.

" I can't believe you have me doing this here, and while your awake. I could lose my license if anyone found out. Why the hell are you changing you mind about this now?"

_I can't touch anyone. You gaged when you kissed me, and Rei ... I can't use that thing now. Grabing the godhead isn't worth doing that to her. _

_Would you understand? The weakness it took to go from perserving the world to taking advantage of its disturction to be with Yui again. _

_Was the last decade a lie? Was it a mistake, like with your mother? _

Her hands were steady and the stitching was keep small. There would only be a small scar.

" Desperate times, dear Doctor, and like most things we do here, well beyond any medical review board. "

" You have three subordinates that could be watching the shop while you're out, you know?"

" Two. You're working on my hand. Truth is I feel better this way, I can see with my own eyes that thing is gone. Even if there's enough left to kill me in time. "

" We could use Rei. She was designed with absorption of this DNA in mind. "

" No, I have enough to worry about with the trauma she's been under. I don't need her acting out over having part of the enemy inside her. "

" It's really strange to hear you talk about her like that. "

" Do you know why I named her Rei? Yui wanted a bigger family, and that was the name we picked out for the girl. I'd be divorced now if she could see how I had her living in that rat-trap. "

To Ritsuko's credit, she resisted her sudden need to pull the stitches just a bit tighter.

" I'm glad you're doing what she'd have wanted you to do. "

Gendo laughed for an instant and she almost dropped the needle She looked up at him with a puzzled look on her face.

" I'm only sure of one thing she'd want me to do. Move on with my life. I make the rest up as I go, and I sure do a bad job of it. Can I trust you with something? "

The blonde doctor smiled.

" Nope, I'm completely untrustworthy. "

Flexing his newly stitched hand, Gendo decided he'd take this over Adam, any day, and he began to wrap his hand in bandages, as he spoke.

" I'm sorry I act like I do. You see, I was never supposed to be here. I'm a linguist after all. "

" What? "

" Unit One Ritsuko, I was supposed to be the one in the core if we couldn't find another way to run the damn thing. I act the way I do, because I never planed on being here. After it happened, I made mistakes."

" It must have been hard. The way you talk about her, it's like your world ended. "

" That is what this was all supposed to stop the world ending, and I think we need to remember that. Suspend work on Instrumentality, and hide the funds incrementally in the usual place. Make it look like we are still working on it. "

The blonde doctor spoke almost in a whisper.

" Seele will kill you if they find out. Why the hell would you risk that?"

" It was supposed to be a backup plan. We use Rei, to take control of an impact we couldn't prevent. Keel wants to be god, and he'll go to war for that. I'm not afraid of a war, but if we do it right they won't even know. "

" There's no way they would not find out before this is over ... You know that. "

Gendo's trademark ice-cold voice cracked just a bit, as though he wanted to sound comforting, and didn't know how.

" I have a back-up plan for this, but you could help with one concern. "

" Whats that, funeral arrangements? "

" You could give up your cats. "

Taking a step back, she tried to comprehend just how stupid that sounded in context of this conversation.

" I know the one just had kittens but ... I'm not good with pets. "

" Are you asking me to move in with you? "

" Yes, ... Rei will be there too. Is that alright? "

Ten years seemed to flash in front of her eyes as she thought, and Rei was in most of them.

_That girl! I was always jealous of her, but she is like his daughter, even if he has trouble showing it. I've waited years get through to him and it looks like he's finally letting me in, but Rei comes as part of it. Strange, a Selee death mark was better then that, at least before all of this._

" I need to think it over, is that OK? "

" Yes. "

Misato walked down a long hallway, toward the smoking lounge for this level.

_Another hour at most, then you'll know why this started, and then you can do what you need to. Right now, just get a fucking smoke. _

Entering the room she saw Kaji, ahead of schedule, sitting at a table.

" Hi, I got what you wanted but it was hard pack, not soft. You know how to open the box? "

Kaji tossed her a pack of cigarettes. Taking a guess at the meaning, she cursed under her breath.

" Come with me to check on Shinji. I made breakfast and it didn't sit well with him. "

Kaji looked puzzled, but followed.

Misato hurried down the hall, and cut to her left into a men's bathroom without a second thought.

" Umm Misato, what are we doing here? "

" Simple, we talked Asuka, Shinji and me. They told me what happened to them, and we worked out how we've been lied to. I'm going to tell them everything, once we find out what's really going on here. And you're helping. "

" We are going to be shot, unless you've got something special to share, Misato. "

" Relax Kaji, I'm not stupid you know. It was the old gypsy bait and switch. Asuka complained about cramps, and I picked Ritsuko's pocket. "

Misato removed Ritsuko's remote MAGI terminal from her pocket, and spoke.

" These things are just PDAs with a link to the MAGI. Ritsuko's not the patient type – she turned the password feature off. I should send her a memo about that. "

Kaji spoke coldly.

" They'll kill you and your kids for this. You have to know that. "

" They don't know, this room's off the grid for the next twenty minutes. Decrypt the files, and give me a bargaining chip. "

" For what? Where they'll kill you and dump your body? "

" The information on Ikari the MAGI has, in the right hands, will have the UN all over this place in days. They will want their organization back. "

" Even if your plan, and I use the word loosely, worked, you would either be killed before that happened or as number four in the chain of command, go down with Ikari and company. "

Misato smiled like a school girl, and Kaji felt scared.

" Thats the best part about being the good guy, you just need to beat the bad guy to win. Surviving is only a plus. "

" I know for a fact that you are not stupid enough to think this will work! "

" Do you now? All I need is a big enough threat to hold over that bastard's head in exchange for full custody of Shinji, and Asuka. One of two things will happen. Either I'll die, and they being pilots will live as long as they keep fighting or if I'm right, I can make them feel safe, and for once give them a life. "

" Have you stopped to think maybe you don't need to put a gun to his head to get what you want? "

" Kaji, these kids never had a choice. They were pushed into this in the worst way.

Do you remember when you told me what happened to your brother? "

" What's that got to to with all of this? "

" If you saw another kid in that spot, with a gun to his head. What would you do? "

" What? "

" Nothing. Just decrypt the files, so I can get this back where I found it. "

Gendo sat alone now in his office, staring into the terminal on his desk. Blood dripped from his clinched fist, forming a small quarter sized pool on his desk. His mind trying to make sense of it all through a cloud of anger.

" Replay last file, and enhance audio. "

The small government issue built-in speaker, worth less then his coffee cup continued to make his blood boil. In a still fuzzy digitized voice it spoke.

" Oh, Shinji . . . "

_Someone will be made to answer for this._

A bright red warning light flashed throughout NERV, taking peoples' attentions from their various affairs.

High above Japan an Angel orbits taking careful aim with its only weapon, itself.

" Report. "

Geno entered the room and through his presence brought the meeting to order. His Operations Director, out of uniform as ever, sat punching figures into the MAGI for her presentation. Ritsuko was fiddling with her remote MAGI terminal, and the two active pilots sat in their plug suits looking uncomfortable. His son seemed to glare at him with eyes that reminded him of something from his past.

_That boy is getting unnerving like he knows something, and he doesn't like it. _

Gendo closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

_Focus now isn't the time for this, soon, but not now. You'll get things back under control again._

" Report. "

The Major spoke up, with an uneasy tone in her voice.

" Sir, judging on the two impacts, this Angel has had so far, it's working on its aim. If we are right, it will drop all of itself on us when its ready, and we can not currently break through its AT field. The MAGI all agree, we need all three active EVAs in the next twelve hours. "

" Doctor, what is Rei's status? "

" Physically she can pilot, but I doubt she'll be able to concentrate hard enough, with the concussion, to maintain an AT field at the level we need. I recommend we press the Marduk for a preliminary report on the Fourth Child. The Zero's core was never meant to be modular like the others, but I'm confident I can have it replaced in six hours. Then it's just a matter of getting the EVA into position and getting the pilot to generate an AT field strong enough to help Two, and One destroy the Angel. The MAGI give it a vote of two to one, thats 66.5."

The Major spoke with tone that rang of disgust.

" We don't need another blind rookie. We know from Rei, and Asuka that most pilots take months to sync with an EVA. We can't take Shinji's results with the Third as a given. I say we use an N² Ariel mine to try to force it down. Failing that, the use the prototype energy weapon we used on the Fifth, as it tries to make its final attack. "

Gendo spoke, knowing full well he was solving one problem by making a bigger one.

" Doctor, how is the Dummy Plug Auto-pilot system progressing? "

" It's unstable, and can only generate an AT field strong enough to stop rain drops. "

" Can it follow basic commands, and do simple work? "

" In theory, but it will not be able to handle combat for weeks. "

" No need. Bring the Zero on-line with the Dummy system, have it bring the Lance from Dogma, and hand it off to Unit Two. The second child has the highest ratio at the moment. She will use the Lance to terminate the angel. "

Misato spoke up again, the tone in her voice seemed to ring of disgust. Gendo tried blaming it on the pain-killers too.

" Sir, it is too dangerous to put an EVA that close to Adam, and we have no way of knowing if contamination can spread from the Lance to an EVA. "

" We have no other choice. Begin the operation. "

" We could lose the Zero, or Asuka! "

_Keeping her in the dark is giving me a headache._

Shinji spoke with the cold tone of voice that seemed to define him of late.

" Just get me close to it, the EVA will do the rest, she always does. "

The room went quiet, and Gendo locked eyes with his son.

_Christ's sake how can he ... his eyes remind me of that village I saw in Africa with the Peace Corps when I was nineteen. Dead men's stares from all of them. Yui, what have I let go on?_

Gendo couldn't hold the gaze and turned his head.

" You all have your orders. Get to it. Doctor – my office, once the plug is working. "

The meeting broke up and people went their separate ways. Misato, Shinji and Asuka got in the elevator and headed for the cage.

Asuka spoke.

" You always knew didn't you, Baka ? "

Ristuko walked to Gendo, and spoke once the room was clear.

" Is there a chance we can use another AT field? Weaken the Angels and then use an N² mine? "

Gendo knew there were only two AT field that could be THAT strong.

" Concentration, Doctor. She can't do that either."

" What about what Shinji said? "

" He was there when it happened Doctor. It is expected that he remember sooner or later. "

As a dull, primitive, artificial mind took hold on on Unit Zero, its usual pilot watched from the sidelines as her reason for living walked off without her.

_Am I so useless as to be replaced by such a soulless thing? What is there for me, now that all purpose is lost? Is allowing me to survive so long just an act of pity?_

The girl jumped, as an unseen hand appeared on her shoulder. Turning to face her Commander, Rei panted heavily.

" Rei, I knew I'd find you here, you should be resting. I know you want to help, but you need time to heal. "

" My condition hampers the plan. I wish to be replaced. "

Gendo's response was in a flat even tone, like he'd seen it all coming.

" Rei do you know the reason you exist? "

" To further the E-project and its goals. "

" Incorrect. You exist because we need someone to stop the Angels. Humanity needed a hope of avoiding another Impact. I know I'm the worst person to be teaching you about hope, but it is the reason you are here. Don't give up on that, please. "

" I ... feel ... unclean. He hurt me... "

" I know Rei, and if I had it to do over again, I'd have ordered you to protect your life, before keeping our secret. I can't turn back time, Rei, but I can say I'll try to take better care of you from now on. "

Wrapping his arms around her, Gendo prayed that Yui was watching.

_I'm trying love, but I'm not you. _

" Now get back to your room. I'll be up to see you once things are settled. "

" Yes, sir. "

As the girl limped off, Gendo felt the room shank as the elevator rushed Units One and Two into position.

" I can feel your damn eyes on me – just get out here. I'm too old for shadow games. "

Fuyutsuki came into the light.

" It's confirmed they got 18 gigabytes of information on Seele and your involvement with them. Along with the personal logs of the last three E-project heads. That's enough to bring the roof down. "

" Good. Make sure Agent Kaji gets to Tokyo-2 alive. "

" I don't get why you're letting them go with this. "

" Seele are a collection of fat old industrialists that took advantage of of the post-2I world reconstruction to get a spot in the UN and a foothold in power bigger than when they called themselves the Trilateral Commission. I gave them the translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls and they all found God fast enough, but they're not the Illuminati they pretend to be. That information will give their rivals in business and government enough to go after them and undermine their power base. By the time it's all settled, even if Keel's still in the big chair, this war will be over. "

Fuyutsuki spoke.

" What of Katsuragi and Kaji ?"

" If he makes it back, I'll promote him to the head of Section Two, and no I'm not planning to kill her either. I think things will run better around here if I have people willing to stand up to me more. I'll admit, it was a clever plan. Framing the attacker as a Seele plant with that money in the offshore account, but you and I are just better at this cloak and dagger stuff than the Major. If only the attacker wasn't a forty year old mental patient living in an alley by Rei's old place, or the people Kaji was really working for in the Japanese government the ones I'm counting on to keep Seele on the ropes for a while it might have worked. "

" It looks like she just had the MAGI attach the fake money trail onto whoever the DNA from the crime scene matched to. Sloppy, but still I didn't think she could manage the MAGI that well. Not the kind of thing you normally let some one get away with. "

" The good Major, is full of surprises, it seems. "

" They were planning to get you arrested, and you're leaving it with that? "

" Fuyutsuki, I played a video surveillance tape in my office this morning of my son sobbing in that woman's arms. He was telling her how the man I left him with for ten years used to beat him, make him cook like a servant boy, and made him sleep in a shack in the damn yard. "

Locking eyes with his old teacher, the older man could see real distress in his eyes for the first time in a decade. Gendo continued.

"Ten minutes of digging in the MAGI tells me, I don't know this because I made a comment to Section Two agent about not wanting to be bothered with petty details after he stole a bicycle. The beating for that, was so bad he had blood in his urine for a damn month. Physical scan data, confirms the old injuries, but they don't show up because they healed so well. They get trimmed on each new scan, along with the readings on what 's stuck in his teeth, and the chemical analysis of what's under his fingernails.

I think I can deal with an Operations Director that thinks I'm Hitler. I've earned it, as a matter of fact. It is Karma, I left her to die in the ice with the rest, and only returned to save her almost by accident. Now shes attempting to remove me, and is without meaning to, helping me stay were I am.

She's willing to move heaven and earth for the sake of those children. I think Yui would approve, unlike many actions of my own. "

High above the earth, the most powerful weapon man has ever seen split, the core of an Angel. The explosion shook a city, and the weapon continued on an escape trajectory that would take it out of earths solar system.

" You make it sound like it's that simple. Like you didn't really have the weight of the world on you this whole time. "

" Sensei Fuyutskui, would Yui make that excuse? "

" No. "

Next: Facing the Music


	7. Chapter 7

Redeeming the Demon, Chapter Seven: Facing the Music

Ritsuko paced the perimeter of Gendo's office for the third time.

_Damn it ! Where is he? Gendo is never late. I don't think I ever noticed how cold and empty this room is. All the better to play mind games on anyone sitting in front of your desk, I guess. _

_I wonder if he'd notice if I had a quick smoke?_

_Right ... Gendo Ikari, he'd notice. That man would notice if a staple was out of place. _

_OK, then. What is this crap on the floor? Umm, the Tree of Life, and that means what again._ _I think I had a class on this once. I seem to remember failing it because I skipped the final to go smoke out with Misato. _

_My mother turned purple, screaming at me when she found out. Not like it mattered, I got an A in everything else that year._

_I'm willing to think about anything right now, anything but what matters. Things are getting worse, and your best friend is moving to undermine his position. I don't want to be in the middle of this, but I am. _

Footsteps echoed in the room, as Gendo arrived.

" How did the dummy plug function? "

" Well enough. I don't think it will be viable with the AT field though, its just not good enough. It might work with an Anti-AT field though. Its a lot simpler to break one down, then put one up, and keep it up. "

" I need you to take command for a few hours. There are thinks I must see to personally. "

" What about what happened with ... my MAGI terminal? "

" Its a good thing you log all the access from that device. We'd have not be able to take advantage of the situation. Part of what I need to do tonight is settle things with the Major. I can deal being hated I'm used to that, but we are at war. I can only tolerate so much. "

Looking into his glasses, and seeing only the reflection of her own worried eyes, Ritsuko spoke in a flat, even voice.

" Are you going to kill her? "

Gendo removed his glasses, and spoke in an annoyed voice.

" I don't like to kill people, Ritsuko. "

She tried to hide her feelings, but made a bad job of it.

" Gendo ... if you're going to talk to her, don't get between her and Asuka, or Shinji. "

" What? "

" Trust me, she sees those kids as a kind of artificial family. If she was willing to go to all that risk for their sake, you want to keep her around. You should remember that. "

Gendo rode the elevator to the correct floor of his son's apartment building.

_I am not used to going to others for meetings of this nature. It would have been easier to just call the Major to my office Monday morning, but I feel the need to see his living conditions first hand, and not through a camera. I wonder if she is aware of the surveillance? If she wasn't I'm sure she's looking now. This place seems pretty empty, I'll have a few Section Two agents move in just in case the camera system is no longer an option ._

Walking from the elevator he took notice of the area around him.

_Decent place, no garbage, maybe a bit unkempt by the cleaning staff because of the lack of people living here, but a world away from Rei's place._

Reaching the correct apartment number, he found the door open a crack, and sounds coming from inside.

Fine classic music that didn't have the feel of a recording. He stood their listing and after a moment the door opened a hair more and he felt something against his leg. Looking down he saw of all things, a penguin with what looked like small white numb like fingers tugging at his pant leg.

" What the hell is that? "

" WARK ! "

The door opened fully and his Operations Director clad in a tank top, and ratty jeans-shorts exited the apartment.

_Does she ever ware a full set of clothing?_

" May I come in Major? "

" No. "

Taken back by the response, he tried to remember his Doctors advice, and not push the issue.

" I realize your opinion of me may not be very high, Major, but we do still have a war to win, and those children are our best chance for that. "

Gendo handed her a plain white folder, and she took it, glancing inside only briefly.

" Is this supposed to mean something? "

" Yes, that regardless of your past actions, I have no ill will, and I believe we can reach an understanding. "

Her eyes narrowed and her voice rang of disgust.

" You had a damn bug put in every room of my house, the shower included. I'm not even going to start about these kids. You want to reach an understanding? "

" This maybe hard to believe, but I had no idea what was happening to Shinji. "

" Really? How about Asuka? "

" I'm sorry? "

" Asuka ran home from learning she was going to be a pilot and found her mother hanging from a rope in her bedroom. Her father couldn't give a damn, and after that she lived for the program. You know her IQ is only 105? She got though college on pure effort, to make herself a better pilot. I don't think she's ever even seen a shrink. I even took a look at your potential pilots list. Strange how a kid with a sister that could use some better medical treatment is at the top of the list, no?"

_The gall of this women to lecture ME on morality! _

" Do you suggest, Major, that I have nothing better to do with my time then make children cry? "

" You're a damn mind bender, and everyone that knows anything about you knows that. I think you turned your son into a lapdog in case Rei just wouldn't do. I think you made sure Asuka didn't have a damn thing in her life but that EVA, and I know from the MAGI Ritsuko has never accessed any of the files on her mothers death. "

" You forget yourself! I could have you shot for treason, you ungrateful little . . . "

Gendo trailed off in mid-sentence as Shinji entered the hallway.

For a second the world stopped, and he could sworn he could hear Yui, over the echo of his words with the Major. He couldn't make out what she'd said, but the look on his child's face was just horrible, like something risen from the grave.

_...is this what my son looks like, when he's not trying to please those around him? Those eyes are so empty, did I make Yui's only son into that? Is this drunken, shameless women right when she thinks I torture children? Am I any better, then, that monster that attacked Rei?_

After an eternity Gendo blinked, and the moment passed. The Major spoke.

" Go back inside Shinji, and take Pen-Pen. I'll be in, in a minute. "

The boy re-entered the apartment, after picking up the odd bird. Both sides of the shouting match regained their composure, and Gendo spoke first.

" Major, looking back at records of the last decade of my son's life make me physically ill, and as his sole surviving parent I deserve all the blame. However, we are still at war, and you are either an officer of NERV or you are not. Those children war are the best pilots we are likely to have, or they are not. We number them the way we do for a reason, Major, and no there is no real lasting way to fight this war without using children. "

" If they want to be soldiers, I'm fine with that, but we will treat them with the respect that deserves. No one is cannon fodder. "

That last part cut Gendo deep, and he remembered the .45 he kept in this jacket.

_You think I'm a damn monster, BITCH! Maybe I should just shoot you, drag all of your damn kids away and use them to jump start the dummy system. That really would make my life a lot easier, even if I'd be sleeping alone for putting you out of MY misery! _

After a second, the anger passed.

" Major, let us get something straight. I am Shin's father, not yours. The records you have clearly show I told him bringing you in was a waste of effort, because we were years away for the neural interface needed. So keep your damn issues out of this. I have no great love of pain, and I do not stay up late planning to steal candy from babies. All I wish to do, is what my late wife asked of me, win this. Are you in or are you out? "

Looking into her eyes Gendo imagined her thinking the same thing he had a moment ago. Time to see if Yui would really approve of her taking care of Shinji.

" If we walk, what happens to us? "

" You disappear, there will be 2.5 million in US dollars in a protected numbered Swiss account with-in three days, and you go anywhere you think you can hide from the world ending. "

" You know my terms if we stay. Agreed? "

" Done. "

" I go where they go, you get my answer, when they give me theirs. "

" Agreed, things remain unchanged until that time. Good night Major. "

Gendo walked past the elevator and headed for the stairs,_ w_alking down slowly lost in thought.

_How do I fix this, and win a damn war? That boy looked like hell. That makes sense - both he and Rei were beaten down, and stripped of pride. If they'd even known it in the first place. Strange though, after all these years I thought I'd become like my father the most, and my brother had just moved on. _

Gendo smiled just a bit a the though of his brother's face Monday morning when he would receive his monthly bank statement.

_Money may be exchanged for goods and services, you did not do what I paid you to do dear brother. Best be glad I leave it at that. _

Reaching the car, he heard the electronic ring of his cellphone coming from the driver's seat. Opening the door and retrieving the phone, he cursed himself for dropping it, with his mind on other matters.

" Ikari. Speak. "

Hearing the controlled, yet distressed, voice of Ritsuko on the other end of the phone Gendo know it was a bad time to drop his phone.

" Were the hell have you been? We have an AT field on our scanners INSIDE NERV! The MAGI have some kind of infection, and it's spreading to all three! I'm trying to contain it but . . . "

Gendo interrupted quickly, and coldly.

"Cancel any warnings and tell everyone it was a mistake. Lock down the GEO front till dawn as per regulations. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

" What about the pilots? "

" We won't need them if we can use the MAGI's immune system to beat this thing, and we can take control of the time table away from Seele and their vat grown freak."

" Gendo, what the hell are you saying? What if I can't contain this thing? "

" I'll go in with Rei, if it comes to that. Now, cancel the alarms. "

Gendo hung up the phone felt a cold chill down his spine as he heard the elevator doors open Turning he saw the Major hurrying the children to the parking lot.

_Now I need to face this AGAIN. _

Asuka stood on the balcony looking up at the stars, looking troubled. She didn't even notice Misato joining her, as for the third time that day, Shinji played classical music.

" Their he goes again, you think he's trying to say something? "

" Oh, I guess. That was just a false alarm before. Right? No angel? "

" Yea. "

" What the hell, was the Commander doing out-side? "

" He had to give me some paper-work. I have full custody of Shinji, now. Its for the best I think. Say, if you like it here, I could talk to your father."

The girl laughed just a bit, and kept looking up at the stars.

" You know you're the only one around here that treats me like an adult, right? He signed me over without a thought didn't he? "

" The Commander handled it, but it looks like he wanted to make sure he kept control of your trust fund. After that ... the faxes are dated ten minutes apart."

" Figures. Momma should have have left him earlier, then you wouldn't have had to worry about it. "

" Asuka. . . . "

" What? Its true, the man just ignored me as long as I can remember. Its strange I used to think that was the worst thing he could have done. "

After a minute of silence, Misato spoke.

" I know what you mean. You think being ignored, made to feel you're not worth looking at is bad, then you see Shinji, and Rei. They didn't have a chance really. "

" Misato, what was it like for you . . . after?"

" When I finally started talking again, I found out why my mother didn't come to visit often. She'd gotten remarried, and knocked up. Just what you need when you get out of a funny farm. My step father didn't like me, and sent me to college just to get me out of the house. "

" Ha, you think Shinji will be OK? "

" I don't think anyone gets over something that bad. I know I didn't, I just kind of got on with my life, but its still there, you know. "

" Yea, I know. "

At that moment the music just stopped, and a loud crash came from the living room.

Asuka cut in front of Misato, and reached the living room a full five seconds earlier.

Shinji stood there standing over the splintered remains of his instrument and looked up as if nothing had happened.

" I don't want to play that any more. "

They both smiled slightly.

Rei opened her eyes, at the sound of her door opening. She grabbed her blanket by reflex, and tried to keep her breathing under control.

" Rei, it's me. Are you awake? "

Hearing her Commander's voice she relaxed and sat up.

" Yes, Sir. "

" Their is a problem Rei. Are you well enough for ... light duty?"

"...Yes, Commander."

Gendo stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

" It's only back-up Rei, The Evangelions are not even required. The Doctor needs to purge an Angelic infection from the MAGI. She can do it alone I'm sure, but your AT field would be a back-up in case of failure."

Gendo paid close attention the lack of expression in her face, and the slightest hint of fear.

" ... Yes Sir ... "

_You missed this for what, four years, or five, if you count before? Old man, stop being afraid of this girl!_

" Its OK, Rei, I'll be with you the entire time. "

The girl smiled, and Gendo felt hollow inside.

_Can you be a human and win this war Ikari?_

She slid her legs out from under the covers and as she stood Gendo caught sight of the scar running over her kneecap.

_I'd damn well better. _

Ritsuko sat in NERV's level five smoking lounge with her last bent, stale cig shaking in her hand just after dawn.

" You look like crap. "

She summoned the effort to turn just enough to see the speaker from the corner of her eye.

" Misato . . . not now. "

The majors almost sing-song voice felt like fingernails on a chalkboard.

" Long night chasing gremlins? The Sync test was supposed to start half an hour ago. "

" Have Maya due it. "

" Not do in for another hour. "

Struggling to her feet, the doctor wondered how her heart could keep beating with this little sleep.

" If I hummed a few bars, could you fake it? "

The major smiled, and shook her head.

_How can we keep going on like friends half the time?_

The doctor began lumbering in the general direction of the Pribnow box the Major spoke

" You know with everything going on, Ritsuko, I'm surprised we still talk. "

" I don't know what you mean? "

" You're not that tired, Ritsu. "

The blonde women some how found it in her to laugh as they enter the pribnow box.

" You really think it's black and white, Misato? "

" I know he's capable of everything I think he's done, and I worry about you. "

As her fingers danced across the keyboard, the test began, and she replied.

" You think he got inside my head some how and controls my every move? Some kind of kinky sex thing with whips and leather maybe? "

Whatever tension between the two women dissolved from the room, as the Major laughed.

" Thank you for that lovely picture. You do know what I'm talking about, with the children I mean? "

" I think Gendo takes as good care of them, as he does himself. Have you seen his house? "

" I've seen the security blueprint in the MAGI, but no not in person. "

" Its an expensive dump, whole rooms unfinished, and hallways with no carpet or varnish on the floor. The security's tighter then anywhere out-side of, well, here, but besides his office, an unused living room and a bedroom or two its not even complete. The house was to be a gift for his wife, and when she died their was no real point in going on with the work. "

" Sounds like an excuse, like he never stopped to ask what his wife would have wanted him to do. "

" Thats about the size of it. In his defense, he did have to worry about NERV, and EVA. Those aren't small things you know. "

" Now you're the one making things sound way too simple. "

" Yea, but it all comes down to his motivations, and what you believe, and I believe in him."

" Guess it does, but I can't turn a blind eye to whats already happened, or let it happen again if we need another child. "

Turning her chair to the side to look at her old friend, and spoke in a worried voice.

" Some-one planning to quit? "

" No, even after what I told them, they want to see this through. "

"Oh, hell, you told them everything didn't you?"

" Yes. "

Glancing back at the MAGI and taking note of the pilots ratios, she took a breath of relief.

" That was a big risk, Misato, and one we might not have been able to afford. What if they couldn't pilot, because how upset they were?"

" We ask them to fight a war, they have right to know why and against what. "

" They're just kids. Ever think, maybe, not knowing is better for them. "

" I learned something in Egypt on my first deployment. A boy with a gun isn't a boy anymore. "

The rest of the test was carried out in silence, as both pilots performed with-in ten percent of their recorded maximum.

Gendo sat hands folded in a NERV detention cell that officially did not exist. Across the table was an unwashed vagrant, mental patient, and according to the MAGI, rapist. The man fidgeted in his chair, his hands cuffed behind him, and he was sweating like a whore in church. The man spoke.

" This about that girl? Sorry about dat . . . sir. . . "

Gendo saw none of this, instead he saw his late wife sitting in that chair. He would almost hear her voice.

" _All life has value, love. "_

" _Would you say that if you knew Rei? If you carried her like you did Shinji? "_

" _Who are you to judge the value of a life? "_

Gendo stood and walked over to the ghost, and looked it dead in the eye.

" _You aren't my wife "_

" Do you know who I am? "

The man swallowed hard, and tried to speak, but Gendo kicked the chair out from under him.

" Erg! "

Gendo looked down at him and didn't see his wife, he spoke.

" I'm that father of that girl you raped. "

Out side the door a rookie Section Two agent named Ichiro moved to open the door, only to be blocked by his veteran partner.

" Kid don't even go there. This is one we can actually sleep easy about. "

Ritsuko slouched against her steering wheel as her car road the Auto train to the surface.

_I think I didn't stay up this late in college, when I was actually having fun. _

The Auto train came to a halt and jogged the good Doctor awake. She shifted the car into drive and headed for home, or at least what used to be home.

_This might not be so bad, I don't have to wonder about Gendo and Rei and more. I feel bad as I ever did, with the way he treats her these days. That scary ice cold face he uses isn't the real him, he'd never use that girl that way. _

_He had me wondering for a bit with the way he kept shoving her back in the Zero, but that was a war and like or not we needed her in the plug. _

Pulling into her usual parking spot, she got out of the car, forgetting to lock it. Dragging herself up the stairs to her old apartment she grabbed the last few things the movers missed the night before, and to make sure something important got done.

Picking up a card-board box with two sleeping kittens inside she took one more look around, and she left as quickly as she came. Walking three doors down, she stopped outside her neighbors door and waited.

_This is it you two. _

Looking down at the sleeping kittens, Ritsuko's tired brain had an idea.

_You know what screw this, I'm keeping you. I think my neighbors wife was allergic to cat hair and I'm just going to bring you home with me. The mighty Gendo Ikari will just have to deal with that! _

One of the small kittens began to wake and yawned in the cutest way possible.

_Damn right, kitten!_

As she began walking back to her car she couldn't help but wonder why she was smiling like that even though she was so damn tired.

Gendo entered his home as he stuffed his trademark gloves into his back pocket.

_Don't need Rei seeing the blood stains. _

Walking down the unfinished hallway, he turned into Rei's new room and tried to enter without wakening her. Seeing her sleeping in a bed a bit too small and covered in a bright blue blanket that did matched her hair, but other-wise seemed out of place. Turning around, Gendo noticed things about the room. Its single dresser had a broken picture frame sitting on top, and a black plastic bag full of children's clothing sat on the floor next to a cloths hamper with the picture of a large brown bear on the front.

_Shinji's clothes. He packed his own things when I sent him away. The top two drawers would have been too high for him to reach. That frame had a picture of Yui holding Shinji, and I broke it when I burned them all after ... Rei was "born"._

_Oh hell this day keeps getting worse._

As if on cue Rei opened her eyes and spoke.

Ritsuko walked into her new home, thinking about her kittens along the way.

_Gendo, I'm keeping these two, K?_

_No, all wrong, he'll just stare at me that way he does at everything he doesn't like._

_Gendo, I'm sorry but my neighbors didn't want these two. Is is OK if I keep them?_

Its wasn't hard for her to imagine a quick " no " from her lover.

She mentally pictured herself unzipping her shirt and sitting on his lap.

_Gendo-chan, can I keep my pussy here please?_

_Ba that would only work on a normal man!_

The Doctors train of thought was broken by a faint sobbing sound, coming from close by.

Opening a near-by closet she found Rei curled up in a ball crying.

She knelt down, and for once made eye contact with the First Child.

" What's wrong Rei? "

" I have ... made the commander angry. "

_Oh hell, I was afraid of this. I knew I'd have to help but ... thats it!_

" Rei, please come out of there. I'll talk to the Commander for you. OK?"

The girl sat there, not moving.

" Ok, I know you don't trust me, but I do want to help you. Tell you what, you wait here, and I'll let you hold something important to me so you know I'll be back for you. Alright? "

Setting the box down the blonde women began walking to Gendo's study. Opening the door she saw her lover with his head down on his desk, and a half empty bottle of scotch whiskey older then she was.

" Go away. "

" Sorry, I just moved in. "

Gendo looked up his eyes bloodshot.

" You should run, I'm a demon. "

" Rei's hiding in a closet. Should I tell her something on my way out? "

Gendo closed his eyes, and let out a groan.

" Oooohhh that girl, I shouldn't a dun that. "

Getting a bit worried, she took a step closer.

" What did you do? "

Gendo had a sad look in his eyes, and he slid a small gray slip of paper across the table.

Picking it up she read.

Dear Beloved

By now you know I'm gone, and I'm not coming back. Please

believe that their was no other way, and I do this to make out final

days together happy ones.

Don't cry for me, this is something I'm at peace with. Look to our son

if you wish to see me, and remind him I love you both.

Asking women to give up their lives, and ask their children to

become soldiers would be hypocrisy if Shinji and I didn't do the

same. You would only try to stop me, but I'm afraid there is no other

way to give the golem that is EVA life.

Kyoko can handle things in the lab from now on. Please support

her and tell her she has my respect

I'm going now, but I'll always be with you.

Look after Shinji for me. The young will need to fight to inherit the

future, and he'll have to lead the way.

All my love,

Yui

_Oooo I wish I could get a hit from that bottle from him about now. _

" Where did you get this? "

Gendo smiled shook his head while he talked.

" Rei found it. She was packing the old clothing in the room to give to the good will. It was in the hamper, in pants pocket of what Shinji was wearing the day she ... died. Its almost funny, your mother turned the MAGI inside out for a year looking for things like this. I looked on the back of every picture in the house.

Stupid stupid man, it was with the child, you ignored for a week while your planned a war with God.

I knew she had to have planned it when the EVA started acting up around Shinji, but never stopped to ask why she brought him that night. He needed to see it happen, to call her out, and she wanted me to go to him when ... it happened

Stupid stupid man, right their under your nose for a decade. "

" Gendo Rei's hiding in the closet. What happened when she gave you this? "

" Stupid stupid old man! "

_Ok, think Ritsuko, he's drunk and she's in the closet You haven't gotten any sleep in a day and a half, but you can do this. _

She walked over to Gendo's desk and leaned over towards him as he spoke.

" You should run, I'm a daemon "

She kissed him just long enough for him to lose his grip on the bottle and she took it in hand.

" We've been over this, I'm not going anywhere. Get use to that. "

" Why do you put up with this? Its been ten years and I'm a bitter old man. "

" Misato asked me that today, faith I told her. "

Gendo got that cold look in his eyes and folded his hands in his usual way.

" That one's going to be trouble maybe. I'd like to keep her around, but the bitch is looking at me with daggers in her eyes. "

Ritsuko forced herself to remembered who she was talking to.

" I've known her a long time. Don't threaten the children, and she's on your side. I'll make sure of it. "

" You say that like it wouldn't get in the way. Matters will need to be handled if it does."

" It won't. "

Gendo chuckled.

" If you can manage that, can you make the whore wear her damn uniform too? "

" I can arrange it. "

Gendo looked at her and noticed the hint of fear through his drunkenness.

_Oh hell I'm doing it again. Can this girl understand I'd have put her on the alter of instrumentality not long ago? Then again the professor did say you're not a murder till the deed is done. I've never actually been unfaithful or lied to her. Maybe this has a chance ... this train of though would have been better suited to a time before I asked her to move in I think._

The doctor put her hand on his face and spoke.

" I think I'm going to dump this out and then we can go to bed. Tomorrow we can talk, OK? "

" I think I've forgotten how to not be this way, Ritsuko. The Captain and I talked last night and . . . "

As he trailed off, she spoke in a flat cold voice.

" Then why in the hell would you make me think other-wise? "

" You are stating to sound like me, you know that? Not good, not good at all. Please, I'm drunk, but I know I'm poison. Just go, and don't look back . . .its better then this, please. "

" Oh, I'm not holding back being pissed off, because I forgot how. Right now I'm so fucking angry at you for trying one of you're little head games on me when I'm so tired just how drunk you are didn't sink in. You're going to forget what female anatomy looks like before you get lucky again. "

Gendo just tilted his head to the side and whispered

" What the hell ? "

" Rei, you vile vile old man, is hiding in the closet right now, because of how drunk and bitchy you are. I do love you, but having, I'm sure read my psychological profile you know I have issues with drunken father figures. We are going to do two things right now. One is going to be you telling me what happen after Rei gave you the letter. The other depends on what you tell me, mother fucker, so talk."

" Umm, your mother and me . . it was . . . "

" Gendo, if I start screaming Rei won't like it. She'll be more afraid."

Gendo lowered his head, and spoke.

" She asked were she came from, and I told her all the details. I swear I didn't mean to use the words failed experiment! "

" What happened after that? No wait, I can guess. She got upset, and you pulled back to keep from hurting her more, right? "

Gendo just kind of sat there.

" Ok then, seeing as your drunk off you're ass right now and I'm not good with kids, I think that makes me the most qualified to deal with Rei right now. I'll dump this out on my way m'kay? "

She shook the bottle just a little as she walked out the door.

_Good lord man, is this how you handle having them here? I never even thought Rei would do anything other then live the way she did in her apartment Like we could play at family life. Of course she did have to hand me a note from the dead women I've been longing for for the last . . decade or so. Damn, why couldn't you just make it work for once, Ikari?_

_Did I kill her inside just now like I killed Shinji, or did I do that years ago when I told her she didn't matter?_

" How did it all go so damn wrong? "

" Easy, you got drunk and ran off instead dealing with things right. Sure you stumbled in the general direction, but then the kid gets upset because you misspoke something, then you back off like you'll break or burn her just by being close. Next thing ya know she's hiding in a closet and you're hiding in a bottle. "

Gendo looked up as Ritsuko as she re-entered the room and only half grasped what she was saying.

" What ... ? "

" Not now love, I patched things till morning but I'm tired for more tonight OK? "

She took him by the hand and lead him off to bed.

Next: Learning to stand.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight: Learning to stand.

Shinji Ikari awoke to a burning light shining on his from the celling. Opening his eyes he noticed a blue sky over him with an annoying star called " The Sun " in a bad position over his head.

_It's better then another new ceiling, I guess._

Sitting up he remembered going out onto the balcony with Misato and Asuka the night before..

_It was nice, we talked and then Misato brought out that big blanket and we just sat there for hours. As bad as I feel, they seem . . . no they do want me around. _

Shinji mind drifted back to last night. The warm feeling of the blanket, and how happy Pen Pen looked as Misato held him. He closed his eyes, and focused on Asuka's face as she fell asleep leaning on his shoulder.

" Wake up Baka! No more dreaming about me, it's time for breakfast. "

Standing up, and walking through the living room to the kitchen table, Shinji finally started to shake the cobwebs from his mind. As he began to eat the plate of eggs put out for him, Asuka spoke.

" Well? "

" Umm, It's good. "

"You're welcome. "

Misato placed a plate of eggs in front of Asuka, and one at the head of the table for herself.

" Like you cooked anything! "

The red head smiled, as she spoke.

" Really, just who do you think threw out all that disgusting curry, you normaly put in every thing, Mis-ato? "

The women opened her eyes wide and spoke in a bubbly sounding voice.

" Ohoo, I just thought I'd run out. "

Shinji laughed, just a little, and both his room mates continued. As Asuka spoke she arched her back and made an annoyed face.

" You're not that good at that, you know. We see you at work all day, so playing the bimbo, doesn't work. "

Misato smiled and spoke.

" Is that like you pretend to be a bitch, because you're afraid of being hurt? "

" Nope, I'm a real bitch, and I enjoy it too. "

Shinji finished his eggs and spoke.

" You can stop you know, I don't need to be cheered up any more. Thank you both. "

He stood up from the table and walked towards his bedroom.

" I need to go out for while, I'll be back later. "

Asuka stood up, only to have Misato grab her hand.

" Don't. He needs to do this alone Asuka. "

" Just where the hell, does he think, he's going? "

Shinji left his room and walked to the front door.

" I need to talk to my father. "

_This I know how to do. It's become second nature really._

" Mr. Peirre, you'll find the Prime Minister's office, is urgent to speak with you on the Rowandan matter.

_Moving people, even power brokers such as theses like chess pieces. _

Mr. Laferty, you'll find MI6 has already issued your death warrant. Now, if my understanding of Her Majesty's agents is up to date, there are nine very skilled men, looking to chain you to the Traitor's Gate, and let you drown in the Thames.

_Ten years in the cold taught me how, and along the way I forgot how to do everything else. _

Our absent friend Vladamir ... his own underworld knows about the uranium; he smuggled to Japan for the Jet Alone prototype. I suspect; there is already a war on the Moscow streets, for his successor. "

One by one, the glowing holograms of Seele members vanished. Some of them didn't even wait for him to speak. They simply ran, save for one.

" Ikari, you Judas! What is the meaning of this? "

" Keel, things have changed, and Seele is, for the most part, in my way. You should take this time to . . . "

The imposing cyborg's voice thundered over the com-line, and Ikari could swear he could smell his cigar filled breath.

" Don't you dare speak to me that way! I know about the American Senator, and information you sent him. I recommend; not picking a pedophile as your angel of death, Ikari! His career is already dead and if he even thinks about handing out those files I can give the President enough on him to have him shot, for human trafficking !"

Their was a brief moment of silence, before the chairmen spoke again.

" Laferty was MI6, before I made him a better offer, and Vladamir was the Russian Mafia's inside man in the KGB before the Berlin wall came down. They don't die easy Ikari! The Frenchmen's dead I'll give you that but I never liked him any way."

" Tell me, Ikari do you think me senile, or are you just afraid the UN will hang you if you give them every thing at once, rather then throw individual bullets to our enemies? "

_This one, isn't like the others. They figuratively, have ice water in their veins, he literally has coolant colder then ice in his. Of all the souls I've met in my life, he is the one most prepared for a war on these terms, and as much as I hate to admit it, the one I NEED alive. _

" Why should pull my punches? "

" You need me, and you know it. I control the UN Security Counsel, and the companies that produce key components for new Evanagelion. "

_Damn, he's calling my bluff! _

" I have enough, to make you life difficult. "

" And I have a pet Nephilim myself, and it functions perfectly. If we were betting men we could just skip right to end game."

_And I wondered if you were capable of having a girl raped. . .damn good thing you didn't._

" Not needed. All I want is to discontinue Instrumentality, and see the evnagelion technology contained after the war is over. I knew you'd never allow either of those. If we leave things as they are, you spend the next five years maintaining your position and rebuilding Seele. I can live with that. "

_Come on, you steel plated monster, cave in. I can't fight them and you, but if you kill me NERV falls you know that._

" I'm old now, and truth be told, I know that if there is a god, then no Red Earth Purification will save anyone from the fire. I chose a kingdom on Earth, above one in Heaven, a very long time ago Ikari. We have a deal, but you will destroy your regeneration matrix. If I can have no immortality, then no one will. "

_So, you only made one after all? Shame I didn't know that a year ago. Now I just need one more thing, lets hope it doesn't cost too dearly. _

" Agreed, If I might have a stipulation of my own. "

" You want more then my word you'll not die in your sleep? "

" Agent Kaji."

" Will be on a plane, within a half a day, my word on it. "

" Very well, good day Mr. Chairman. "

The hologram went dark.

_That was too easy. Agent Kaji, is likely in . . . less then perfect condition, and I need him alive to ensure the Majors loyalties. At least I don't have to worry more than that. Any damn fool willing to play three sides against each other deserves a few broken bones. _

_Now, I'm forced to deal with other matters where my skills are . . . lacking._

Exiting the conference room, and walking to the elevator, Gendo actually felt his heart beat faster.

_You're actually afraid of them, aren't you ? The mighty Ikari, cowering before a woman young enough to be his daughter, and children young enough to be his children s's, children. OK, that was a train of though I did not need, in the slightest. _

Entering the elevator Gendo didn't even notice it wasn't empty, his mind on other matters. Shinji, just stood there and stared at his father's back as the door closed. Once they were both locked inside for the duration of the trip, he spoke.

" Do you like Metallica, father? "

Gendo jumped out of his skin, at the sound of his son's voice.

_God damn! That boys like a damn ghost. . . _

Shinji continued.

" There is this song, " Enter The Sandman " . I'm not that good with English, but it sounds like a parent tucking a child in for the night. Keeping him free from sin, till he falls asleep."

" I have no time for distractions. "

" The music is new to me, actually Misato just lent me some CD's the other day. I used to play the cello but . . . I gave it up. It's not really my kind of music, I guess. "

_What in the hell is he talking about? _

Gendo just stood there silent as ever, but for some reason, over the slow tic of the elevator, he could swear he heard something snap, as Shinji spoke again. His voice again sounded like ghost, and chills went up Gendo's spine.

" What the hell is wrong with me? I've wanted to know for years. I'd stay awake nights, trying to figure it out, even after I came here. I'd learn what ever I could to be useful, and I tried to not question people. When I meet Rei, I used to wonder why you didn't just use me the way you did her. . . "

Shinji continued to talk but Gendo didn't hear it at the words " Rei and used " his mind was filled with images of Rei laying on cold stone apartment floor, blood everywhere. His blood began to boil.

" How dare you, you insolent little brat! "

Without realizing he brought up his right hand, and struck the boy across the face. Shinji fell back against the elevator wall, and looked up at him with pure hate in his eyes.

" She defends you, you know that? Rei, even told me, she'd kill herself, for you! Is that what you wanted? Because I've tried that enough times, to know it's hard, but I'd have opened a damn vein to have the life she did! I know it's fucking pathetic, but it's better then living in a damn shed in the damn yard!

" I got so damn used to it, that when a fucking stranger took me in, and tried to treat me fucking NORMAL I didn't know how to act! "

I didn't deserve, what happened to me, anymore than Rei did! It was all your fault, both of us! How could my mother, love a demon, that could do something, like that ! Did you marry her just to put her in that damn thing! "

Gendo's eyes, grew to the size of silver dollars, but for some reason, he was unable to speak.

" Yea, I fucking know she's in there, I can feel her every fucking time! She's awake, every damn minute, and ice fucking cold standing in that cage like a statue! Do you know; she can hear us? See us too. Eva's can't blink, Ritsuko told me once. I wonder how she keeps from ripping you in half, you vile, evil, son of a BITCH! "

Neither of them noticed, when the elevator door had opened, but on his deathbed, Gendo would regret what had happened to his " children". He would also regret, the feeling of relief he felt, when the alarm went off, and the Angel appeared over the city.

Gendo sat hands folded at his desk, going over the situation.

_The Third is in Unit One, and synced at 90. The Second is entering the plug now, and the Angel is holding steady over the city, in form of a large striped ball. _

_Also, I am going to every hell I can name, when I die. In fact, the gods, I'm sure, are building vast new hells, for me alone. _

_World first old man, then your screwed up, personal life. _

The Evangelion launched, and Gendo watched as they moved in on the target.

Within four minutes, the EVA's were in striking distance of the sphere.

Gendo's desk phone rang, and he answered.

" Speak. "

" It's me, Rei's un-usable outside of the Zero. She's been skipping her . . . meds."

" Doctor, I don't think a week or so, will matter in the long run, and we need her out there. I've got a bad feeling. "

" Its not weeks, its months at least, maybe a year, from what I'm getting. "

Gendo wondered what a stroke felt like, and if it was better then this. The Angel's AT field began to fluctuate, and its shadow began swallowing up everything in its path. The Major screamed, for the pilots to pull back. Gendo remained calm.

" What the hell, are you talking about? Why would she not take them, that long, and why wouldn't the scans show it? "

" Umm, is this line . . . "

Gendo cut her off.

" We have other security concerns, besides Seele, at the moment Ritsuko. "

" Rei is, for lack of a better term made of , " Angel matter", so are her meds, and the MAGI can't tell if the altered tissue we give her, is regenerating her body with out a physical sample. We never had reason, to think she wasn't taking them. "

" Giving her a booster, wouldn't matter now, would it? "

" Nope, I can't give her enough to matter, without risking contamination. Eighty percent change at best. "

_Did you want to die, that badly Rei?_

A technician, whose name he couldn't remember, said something about the power cables being cut, and the the room went quiet as a tomb. Gendo Spoke.

" Tell her . . . , no wait. Get her the biggest dose you can, and keep the risk under . . . fifty percent. We'll need to rely on non-conventional means, and anyone is expendable."

_None of this will matter a damn, if we lose this fight. _

Inside the belly of the beast, Shinji floats in his plug, watching the timer tick his life away.

As the time began to move at four times its normal rate, Shinji put his hand on the telephone--like device that popped up, yet again, and rang.

" Hello Asuka. "

" How'd you know it was me? Could have been Misato, with a way out. "

" You've called three times, in the last hour. Asuka, I don't think we should be doing this, we're burning battery power. "

" What have we got to save it for, Baka? "

" I though you said Misato was going to call? "

" Moron, if you can warp space, you can warp time. This could all just take a minute to them, and even if its not who's going to get us out of here? Wonder-Girl? "

Shinji twitched, just a little.

" Why do you keep calling, and bitching about Rei? "

" Oooo, some one wants to talk now doesn't he? "

_I should have guessed, I finally chew out my father, and this happens. _

Asuka continued to turn the knife once again.

" You know Baka, most people want to at least have sex before they die. Its kind of pathetic that you're willing to give in now."

Shinji snapped.

" If you want to live, turn off the DAMN COMUNICATOR! "

" Sorry, but no. Thats just long slow death. I think, I'll put more effort into you first. So, ever see Wonder-Girl naked? "

" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! "

" Relax. Baka, just a simple question. I'm wondering who has the better body is all. I know you peek on me in the shower. "

" . . . "

" What? She gets raped, and I can't ask a simple question? "

" What . . the hell . . .are you doing? "

She spoke in a happy sing song voice.

" Pissing you off. I read the file on you in the MAGI. I know your eva goes crazy some times, and I don't want to die. I figure you'll do it. That, or you'll get sick of me and tell me how you do it. "

Shinji's voice took on a labored tone.

" It just happens. . . "

" Bullshit! You know more then you're telling Baka, and I've got too much to live for so, hack it up! "

" You really want to know? I have to die . . . or be damn close to it. I think its the only way, nothing else between you and death and I just scream. Its not pretty, Asuka. Just keep back and stay away from Unit one I don't know what it'll do . . . "

" Keep back yourself ! I'm already running on full power, momma and I'll take care of this one. Just sit back and watch, Baka. "

" Asuka don't! I'm still here, with a charged battery! I don't know if it'll work! "

" Guess thats up to Momma, Baka-Shinji. I'm not going to sit here and wait to die, or hope some ones going to save me. If you think you can help, come on already, you're a damn pilot! "

Shinji sat there guessing at the time ticking away on Asuka's control panel.

_No, time . . . Aaa hell I already told father what a bastard he is. I might as well, **live** or die with the red head!_

Without really noticing the importance he mentally placed on the word " live ", Shinji dialed the power to full.

Rei stood on the top of an EVA launch tower, some 60 meters from the Angel.

" It does not look dangerous. "

The Commander put his hand on her shoulder.

" Things are often not as they appear in life. How do you feel? "

" My scars are fading, though the Doct . . . Ritsuko tells me I will be unable to maintain an AT field of the required strength, for the time needed. "

" You understand that we may not be able to rely on the rest of NERV for replacement Evangelions. We must at least attempt to recover them, and the pilots also deserve hope of rescue. "

" I . . am afraid. "

" I planed to never use the back-up system again Rei, but if you wish we have the time to preserve your memories. "

The girl stepped back at the mention of the word " memories ".

Their was a long moment of silence, until Rei spoke again.

" I fear for the pilot of Unit one. I have tried to protect him, but I feel I no longer can. "

" Were you also close with the Second? "

" No, . . she was . . selfish, mean, and . . .I could not prevent her from becoming close to . . .him. I could not protect him from her. "

Gendo spoke with a hint of sadness in his voice.

" You are aware, Rei, that Shinji is your brother, are you not? "

" . . .Yes . . . "

" God, damn, you two have ice water in your veins! Ifs Freezing out her. "

The pair turned as Ritsuko joined them.

" The three of us need to talk. We need to stall things a while longer. "

Gendo spoke.

" There is little time, and any temporary effect the injections' had on Rei's regeneration abilities, will be gone soon. Now is the time."

" Yea, about that. I kind of knew for a while now, that Misato gave Asuka and Shinji FULL briefings. I think, they might be able to, awaken their Evangelions, once the power runs out. "

Gendo removed his glasses.

" That is a large, omission, Ritsuko! "

" Everything we know about the EVA's tells us that they shouldn't be able to get around the safeguards on the A10 nerve, but Shinji always could. Up till now, the only difference between Shinji and Asuka was that Shinji always knew his mother was in the core. Now she does too, and we have a better or worse chance I guess. If I'm right for once, and they'll do what I think they will. Rei will be needed in case the two turn on each other. "

" If we just sit here, they might die. "

" If we send Rei out there, she IS, going to die, and there's a slim chance that Unit one at least will go berserk and save them. I think Misato, thought, telling them might lead to better control of the EVA's "

_She's not a whore, she's the Belle dome sans Merci. Telling those children they control war weapons powered by their dead mothers. Like I'm any better._

Rei spoke, in a tone that he'd come to expect from Shinji, of late. That of the risen dead.

" He is aware of my true nature? "

Gendo spoke almost out of reflex.

" Yes. Has he acted differently in the last few days Rei? "

" Yes, he tried to offer me care. "

" Then I'm sure, it does not matter to him. "

The girl looked up at him, with sad red eyes, and Gendo swore he could feel them burn into him.

" Is it alright if I care about him? "

"Yes."

" Even though, he hates you? "

Ten years flashed in front of Gendo, in a heartbeat, and he spoke.

" . . I've earned . . . that hate Rei . . . its alright."

Rei turned towards the Angel.

" Can you hear it? She is screaming. "

Gendo felt his heart sink, as he spoke.

" What is she saying Rei? "

" I will kill you. . . . "

With that blood flowed down city streets like rain water, and Evangelion Unit Two ripped the Angel apart from the the inside.

Next: " Penultimate. "


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: Penultimate

Misato fixed her eyes on her target, and she began to close in. Step by step she got closer to the Commander, only to be intercepted by a certain Doctor.

" Misato, hold on a sec! "

The violet haired women, stopped in her tracks, and turned slowly.

" Doctor, I'm on my way . . to a meeting. "

" No, you're going to pick a fight, and that's not smart. "

Misato twitched, just a little, and leaned in close as she spoke.

" I don't care who your boyfriend is, or thinks he is. He either hit my kid in front of the entire, command staff, or he hit a subordinate officer, in front the entire command staff. In both cases, I can't let that go unanswered."

Putting herself between the Major, and the hallway, leading to the room they both knew Gendo was in. The Doctor, seemed set to make, a stand.

" Listen for a damn second, will you! It is not that simple, and it never was. "

" The ' I can have you killed ' card, doesn't work, remember? Anyone goes missing, and the UN swarms this place! Too many important people are fighting in the dark, and information is leaking out! The world's not blind to this place anymore, and we don't have to act like he's untouchable! "

" I know he fucked up, but if this is their last ch. . . . "

The Doctor was cut off, by the Major grabbing her by her collar, and forcing her back into a maintenance closet. One, she seemed to remember, that as off the, security grid .

Ritsuko, struggled against the Majors grip ,to free herself, and was surprised she couldn't. For a long minute, they stood there, in the dark.

" Misato, you are scaring me. "

She released her grip, and spoke.

" Good. Maybe you'll learn head games, aren't fun. "

Misato turned to leave.

" I know you want him to open up, Ritsuko. Ikari is forty eight years old. He should know, how to act like a man by now. "

The Major, tried not to think, as she walked.

_He's still Ikari, and I'm not bullet-proof. _

The image of Shinji getting hit, replayed on a dozen security cameras, stuck in her mind.

_For once in you life, think before you rush in. Bastard, or not, you die and those two are a lot worse off. He needs to answer for what he did. A child, should not be treated like an animal. They should not be beaten, used or neglected to the point they have to stop being children to get through the day. _

_If I get myself killed, I'm worse then he is. I'd have given those kids hope, and taken it away. Damn, life is harder when you have kids. _

Reaching the end of the hall, she heard the Commander's voice, and homed in.

" . . . are times when I did not do what my role as a parent required of me. As much as I told myself I would have caused further pain, it was a lie, I told myself out of fear. These things, are not the kind of offense you can expect to be forgiven for. My wife would have demanded better of me, in fact common decency demanded it so."

" Misato, we're ready to go. "

She jumped as Shinji's voice came from behind her, and she spun on her heels.

" But I . . "

" Asuka's dressed, we should get going. You know how I got when Unit One went berserk. "

Misato stood there for five full seconds, before she spoke again.

" Right, the car's out side waiting. "

Asuka was in a drug induced haze, and as they walked to the car, Shinji needed to lead her by the hand.

_Wow, I though it was just Shinji before, but this is worse then we though. I wonder if Ritsuko knows this is something that goes with an awakened EVA. _

As they drove home at a some-what slower pace then normal, Gendo's words in the hospital stuck with her.

" Shinji, I know your father's . . . Have you though about talking with him again? "

" I . . know what he was saying to Rei, in the hospital Misato. "

" So, thats who he was talking to. Still, as much as I hated my father Shinji, I still don't know how to really think about him. One hand, he saved my life, on another he well he killed me. Now that he's gone, I'll never get the chance to . . . settle things."

The boy was silent, as the car came to a stop at a traffic light. Misato looked over her shoulder, and saw Asuka's neural clips, had fallen off, and she was looking around oblivious as Shinji tried to get them back on.

As the light turned green, and she resumed driving he spoke.

" Rei's only like eleven , you know that? At least this Rei is, and he needed to talk to her that way. She came to see Asuka. It was Rei that helped me get her dressed, actuality€ť

Turning to Ausuka.

'" You are going to kill me, for that one, when your better, aren't you? " "

Misato pulled into her normal parking spot, and they began walking to the elevator.

" Rei, can't judge him, Misato. He's all she's ever had, and that alone is enough to make me hate him. Me it was . . . When does it get too bad? Yeah he admits it, but he's still the same bastard he's always been. What does he have to do for me to not have to forgive him you know? "

_Yes, I do Shinji but I'm not going to tell you what to think. I just need find a way to tell you, you'll get to make this choice once, and it will cost you. _

Gendo Ikari stood in the EVA One lock cage.

" What if it's too late to find a way out? I didn't wake up one morning, and say I want to be an ice cold bastard. What if this isn't a war that can be won by a man? What if it will take a bastard? Then there's Shinji. . . . Can't help but fuck up there, constantly. I think he's in a good place, as long as her drinking stays under control, and Kyoko's daughter doesn't, well. . .Oh fuck, Yui if your in there, can you bail me the hell out? What do I do now? "

" If she could, I'm sure she'd smack you. "

Gendo jumped as Ritsuko appeared behind him.

" Damn it! How do people, keep doing that, to me? "

" You haven't had a physical in five years. Losing your hearing maybe?"

Calming himself down a bit, he spoke.

" That's all I need. "

" No, a fucking wakeup call is what you need. I honestly don't know how my oldest friend, is going to react to you, the next time you're in the same room. I almost got a black eye this morning, over your elevator incident, and I'm not sure I didn't deserve one. Got a chance to look at the security video ten minutes ago. With everything going on, why the hell did you hit the kid? "

_So, this is hell. Colder than I though it'd be. _

" Truth be told, he told the truth, to my face, and I just acted. Hell of a thing, being so damn vile the mention of it just makes you worse. "

" Why do you act like that to him? It's always been a taboo subject between us. You wife, and your son, just never get talked about. I'm the one caught in the middle here Gendo, and I need some answers. You seem willing to not be worse then you need to be, to get through this. Then you turn around and pull this shit. You take Rei in, but the minute things get rough you get drunk, and she's hiding from you. Shinji gets it in him to ask you why you didn't raise him, and you smack him away. These are thing you've already admitted to yourself. "

Gendo looked up at Unit One, and spoke.

" Why do you still smoke? "

" What does that have to do with any of this? "

" You're a Doctor. You know cell by cell what happens every time you smoke but you do it anyway. I know I'm hurting them, but I can't stop. I don't want to, but they get close and I just react. Half the time I think I come down here, to give this thing a chance to just rip me in half. "

She walked over to him, and put her hand on his face.

" You hate Shinji because he reminds you of yourself, don't you? Rei just looks like Yui. That's the only reason she gets treated any better, isn't it?"

" Yes. "

_It shouldn't be that simple, but it is._

The sound of her smacking him across the face echoed through the room.

" I love you, but get over yourself. If you don't we are all dead. "

Misato sat on the couch at half past midnight, and sipped her beer.

_OK, so I'm like parent of the year for this I'm sure. Shinji has been in Asuka's bedroom for the last hour and a half. Shinji said he had bad nightmares, and he wanted to help. I let two teen agers sleep in the same room. Nice, now I'm afraid to pee, because at their age things might not last that long. _

Misato stood, and walked to the bedroom door, and stood there for two full minutes.

_In order to be sure every-things OK, I'll just peek inside. If I see, smell, or hear anything that could be sex-related, I have a problem on my hands. Why did I let two teenagers share a bed in my house again?_

_It's unfair to just call it MY house anymore. They live here too. Hell, I adopted them . . .ohh damn, thats a big word isn't it? " Adopted ", as in you are now emotionally and monetarily responsible for two human beings. Not like, for the weekend either, till their eight-teen. Four years, or four and half in Asuka's case. _

She turned for the bathroom and walked fast. Half way there she took a left and entered Shinji's room. Turning her eyes to the broken mirror, she was disappointed.

_Damn, no ghosts this time. Hell it seemed so damn easy when it first came up. They reminded me of what happened to me, and if I could . . . I don't know save them from that, maybe I could even get through the night with out a half a dozen cans of beer. I think this is going to take more than good intentions. _

She made her long, slow, way back to the imposing bedroom door, and slid it open.

Asuka was sitting up in bed running her fingers through Shinji's hair. She entered the room, as Asuka spoke.

" Baka Shinji, he's supposed to be taking care of me. "

Misato knelt down, and whispered.

" He was up all night last night, in the hospital with you. "

" Baka. I don't even like him, I can barely stand him. "

The older women smiled.

" Misato, what does it mean, when a boy won't kiss you back? "

_Oh, boy this was a great idea Misato! You're mother of the flipping year._

" Tonight, I think it means he cares. Asuka, do you know why I let you two do this tonight? "

" . . . yes . . "

_She leaned in, and gave her a hug._

" The good guys, don't take advantage kiddo. Now get some sleep. "

Gendo still stood, in the cold, dark, silent, cage, looking up at Unit One.

_I wonder if I jumped in, would anyone care if I drowned? ... LCL, right, you can breathe that, and the cold is not enough to cause shock fast enough. _

Footsteps echoed in the dark, and he turned to meet them. His Sub-Commander looked concerned as he came closer.

" We have a problem, the American second branch, just vanished. They were testing, the refurbished S2 engine, three minutes, and twenty seconds before it happened. "

" Keel? "

" Called me personally with the news, the satellite grid is readjusting itself with the lose of a MAGI system. "

Gendo took a deep breath.

" Odds it was him or Seele? "

" It doesn't benefit them enough, half the scientists they'd use to re-start the program if needed were there for the activation. "

" And the other half? "

" Russia, and Germany. Their MP EVA program, will take a hit over this, and on top of the Seele power struggle, we could get lucky. They could still field EVA's of the current type though, but they won't be able to complete the project now. "

" Get increased security on the fourth gen candidates, and get a list of the rest. Assuming this isn't an Angel, you think we should tap the fourth, for his own protection? "

" Think it's really protection? "

" If the North Koreans want a weapon, they are not above chopping bits off his sister, to get what they want. "

" You know he has a sister? "

" I read the file. Had her moved to NERV's medical wing, she was hurt in the battle with the Third. "

" Thats . . . kind of you. "

" . . . The boy just . . . there is no excuse, I admit that. "

" Shinji's another matter, all-together. We are living in a house of cards, you realize? If we didn't have the fate of the world in our hands, we'd have UN peace-keepers all over us."

" . . . I need to try, at least once. Yui, would want that . . . I think, but if this falls apart. . . hell."

" What will you do, Ikari? "

" I think . . . I'm going to pull a few strings and get Unit Three moved here. Tap the Fourth Child, and prep his " core ". "

" Are you sure about that? "

" The war goes on, and no one can turn back time. "

Asuka sat up in bed, and looked to her right. Shinji was gone, and she felt hollow for a second. Standing and exiting her room she found Misato sitting at the breakfast table in her black dress.

" I thought you were off, today? "

" Something happened last night, and I need to brief you once Shinji's out of the shower. "

" Pervert! He tried to take advantage of me last night. It was all I could do to defend my honor! "

Misato sipped her coffee.

" Really? "

The girl's face matched her hair.

" No. "

"Good."

Their was a moment of silence, before Asuka spoke again.

" Why is he . . .so . . . stupid, half the time. "

" I have to remind him half the time, he's a boy. Now you too? "

The red-head stood up, and put her hands on her hips.

" Just what is that supposed to mean? "

The older women smiled.

" He's never had, a girlfriend before, Asuka. You scare him, a little. Relax, take it slow, and remember how often I get scans of both of you. "

" Why I never! You bitch! "

At that moment Shinji walked out of the bathroom wearing only a towel.

" Umm, is everything OK? "

" Get dressed, NERV business. "

He walked to his bedroom and Misato looked over at Asuka. Her face was redder then before.

" Cute, isn't he? "

" You are a pedophile. "

" Nope, but I am an unrepentant tease. "

" Why are you doing this? Fucking with me after what I went though! "

" Because, after today, I'm not going to be able to, I think. "

Shinji re-entered the room, and sat, and Misato continued.

" Last night, the American second branch of NERV was swallowed by a Dirac sea, as they were activating the Evangelion Unit Four, and the S2 engine prototype. The entire base, and everything around it for miles, is gone.

Judging by what happened to you two, there is no way to survive it if you're not in a shielded entry plug. Five hundred NERV personal, and their families living on the base. Nearly two thousand people. The American government is shipping their remaining EVA to us now, and dealing with the fallout. The Fourth Child will be needed now, and I'll be meeting with his father in two hours. I'd like you two to . . . brief him on the basics, assuming he agrees to pilot. I'll tell you what you can tell him at first, and if he doesn't wash out of the program, or quit we'll tell him the rest later, when he's ready. "

Asuka spoke up.

" You want us to lie to him? "

" No, just . . if we tell him everything from the start, he could be too afraid or disgusted to synch, and we might not get another pilot. This is hard for me to ask you, but he needs to hear what it's like from some-one that's been their. The part about his mother, needs be handled better then it was with you two. I won't put him through that, until he is sure he wants to do this. "

" And when he finds out and quits, what about her? His mother, just gets what deleted?"

" The prime back up for the Fourth is his younger sister. We could use others, due to her young age, but we number pilots this way for a reason. He's our best shot, at some one with the potential you two have. If he quits or washes out, we save the core till she has her shot. I do not want to even think about going their, but this is war and if we lose, then everyone dies. We can-not survive another Impact. I think not letting what happened before, happen to anyone else, is the best thing we can do, for all of us."

Ritsuko sat in the smoking lounge working on her fourth cig in the last hour.

_Having to tell that man just what happened to his wife made me feel just wrong. I'm sorry but after she got hit by a car we cracked her skull open and inserted neural probes in twelve places, and . . . _

" May I have a cigarette? "

Looking up and seeing Gendo made her do a double take. She handed him the pack.

" You smoke? You hate it when I do it. "

" I quit in college, after a professor I admired, died of lung cancer. Is the core taking to the EVA?"

" The regeneration of the chest area, should be done in a few hours. After that, it's up to the activation test to tell us if it worked at all. I think the Fourth will work out OK. He's doesn't have Asuka's extra training, or Shinji potential, but the MAGI ran all his information last night and said he should be a better team player, and have a higher pain threshold. "

Gendo inhaled deeply, and spoke.

" How does it know that from school records, dental information, and eight minutes in an entry plug with two others? "

" Don't ask me Mother just thinks so, I guess. "

" For the other night, I'm sorry. I was never very good with letting anyone in. I just thought, hell I don't know what I was thinking. I never asked you to help me, with Rei, and now I don't think I can handle her alone, or any of this. "

" Gendo, like I said, I do love you, but you have to promise me you're not going to crawl back into you shell on me. I can't take that with Rei involved. "

" I can do that. "

" What about you and Shinji? "

" I just don't know. I have to face the fact that all I've done is caused him pain. He's better off where he is, and I should accept that. "

" Gendo, now might be your only chance. You know that right."

" . . . I can't . . .all of this at once, it's to much. I know, I have to try, but it's more arrogant to expect to fix things over night, after ten long years."

The Commander stood on the command deck, running the situation through his head.

_The activation test was cut short by the Angel awakening inside Unit Three. Keel, did you kill all those people, just to send me an EVA with an Angel hiding in it? You're not the kind of man to use scorched earth, you'd have nothing left to end this with yourself. That thing you grew in Berlin isn't strong enough, and the MP EVA's won't be done before this is over. _

_Unit Four maybe? No something needed to draw all of that mass into nowhere and its S2 engine is the best answer to that. _

_Damn it! Focus, on that matter at hand. _

"Where are Units Two, and One?"

A young women with a boyish hair cut spoke up.

" They are two minutes away sir. Three if they stop to connect a power cord. "

" An under-powered EVA is worthless. We require a distraction. What is, the Zero's, status? "

The young woman looked shocked, and stuttered as she spoke.

" A-active, Sir, and synced at 25. There's no way . . . "

Gendo cut her off coldly.

" Signal the Zero to get a long range weapon and fire a shot to distract the enemy. By the time the Angel changes direction, and reaches its position the trap will be closed."

_I can hear her thinking, " He's an ice cold monster! ". Sorry girl, but no matter what the Angels need to die, and I'm not sorry about anything I need to do to make THAT happen. _

The main screen showed the blue cyclopean figure of EVA Zero rose from its cage.

The pilot's uneasy hands showed in the way it loosely held the pallet gun. It fired off four shots before the gun fell to the ground with a clang, as the gaping form of what was once Unit Three turned and began to charge.

_Part one, done. Part two in three, two. . . ._

The giant red form of Unit Two came from behind the Angel, and slashed its back with its prog knife.

_One more move before end game. _

Off in the distance, Unit one stood on a hill over looking the fight. It's entry plug half ejected and Shinji looked down at the fight with his own eyes. Shinji spoke.

" She's getting her ass kicked, it's time to move."

Back in NERV HQ Gendo felt his heart skip a beat as Unit one jumped on the Angel from behind and grasped its left arm. The Two followed in kind and grab ed the right arm even as it grabbed reached around like a snake, trying to stay free.

" Now, cut the nerve connections to the Zero, and finish it. "

The Angel momentarily immobilized by the two Evangelin's, was a sitting duck as Rei clad in her school uniform floated in mid air over to the beast's chest. Whit hot light fired from her eyes and began melting its way to the core, as the creature screamed.

In a minute it was over.

An hour later, Asuka stood outside the NERV mens locker room, as Shinji walked out.

" You took long enough. Where you two showering together or something?"

" You'd love to see that, wouldn't you? Toji had questions, thats all. "

" About what? "

" Why we put him in Unit Zero, and Three."

The pair began walking to the elevator as Asuka continued to speak.

" Good thing Misato's paranoid. Even if that stupid plan of the Commander's, had him acting like a punching bag for a wile! "

" Yes, where is Misato, anyway? "

" She said she needed . . . to debrief Kaji before he gets out of the hospital. "

Shinji smiled at the jealous look on Asuka's face.

" Maybe he'll come over for dinner, or something? "

" If she doesn't kill him, after what he's been through! "

The reached the elevator and then entered it.

" Do you think Toji did OK? "

" Hell no! You did better your first time out, with less training. Shame Rei got involved I wanted to see if he could fight. "

Shinji talked slowly, picking his words with care.

" Does it bother you? Rei I mean, and who she is. "

" It's not who, Third Child, its what, and no, I'm not scared of anyone, or anything. I do hate her, Shinji. I can't stand dolls, and that's just what she is. If you're asking if I'm going to tell anyone, no I'm not. She'd just better keep out of my way is all."

Shinji seemed to take a deep breath, before speaking.

" It's going to be hard, keeping in touch with the Rei, with her living with my Father and all. I umm was thinking of maybe . . inviting her over for dinner some time? If that's OK, umm Asuka. "

The girl stood very still and Shinji braced himself for a smack.

She leaned in and kissed him.

He stood there in shock till the door opened.

Gendo sat in his study watching the video playback of his son and the second child in the hallway. With a keyboard stroke he switched to their apartment.

" Now, Misato's not back yet, so we're on our own for dinner. If I'm nice and buy take out will you be a gentleman, and keep your hands to yourself?"

" What? After the elevator you want ME to control MYSELF! "

The girl put her hand on her hips and spoke in an annoyed voice.

" A little kiss and you're a raging pervert. I should have known better. "

She walked off in a huff taking her cell phone with her. Shinji stood there stunned, until an odd penguin -like creature waddled over to him and began tugging on his pant leg. Shinji bent down and picked it up.  
" Pen-Pen, can you understand that girl? "

" Wark! "

Gendo raised an eyebrow.

" Where did she get that thing? "

" Warm water penguins were a failed project from Germany. Misato picked up a stray, as usual. "

Gendo turned his head to the right to see Ritsuko in her bathrobe.

" That is getting to be tiring. I think I'll need a physical Monday morning. "

" You're fine, just distracted. You know you could call him, Shinji I mean. "

Gendo looked down at his desk.

" I think I've done enough, better we both move on. "

" Then why are you watching him? "

" Half of me wants to know why the Majors not ripped the cameras out. The rest wants to make sure he's in a good place this time. "

The blond woman smiled.

" First one is easy, she knows how important they are, and that surveillance might keep them alive one day. "

" The second part worries me, Ritsuko. I mean look she has left two teen-agers alone, in a house full of alcohol. "

As if on cue, Misato re-entered the apartment with Kaji in tow.

" Kid's I'm back from getting all sweaty with Kaji! "

Shinji turned around, as a string of Germanic profanity, came from the rear of the apartment.

Kaji spoke up

" She was helping me move in down-stairs. "

Gendo saw the screen go dark, and he looked up at Ritsuko.

" Gendo, either call him, or don't. "

He looked at her and she could see the lack of energy in his face.

" Let's go to bed. You could use some sleep. "

Walking from his study he paused for a second outside Rei's door, to take a peek.

The room was redecorated, the bed was the right size, and Rei seemed to be sleeping peacefully with two kittens on the pillow next to her head.

_It shouldn't have taken this to remind me, but it did. Move on from here, old man._

Next: Epilogue

Author's notes:

Lookie here! This is the end of the main story so to speak. There's more to the main EVA story, yes, but Gendo the focus here and we've seen he's gone as far as he's going to. Next chapters an Epilogue, that will wrap a few things up before the curtain drops.

Its been a long road getting here, and I'd like to thank Mr. Tines, LD, Seele8, Rat Bastard, Random1377, and the fine makers of 7up for helping me get this far.

Its been a long road, but I think I've gotten a bit better at this as time went on. See you all for the Epilogue, then I'll take a short break before the next story starts. It won't be linked to this one in any way, and probable be this length or shorter. I've always hated it when stories go on to long, or the author writes story after story in the same world that make his or her other stories required reading.

Please I am an unrepentant compliment whore and love a good review! Any questions there's a thread on Dark Scribes with the story's name on it.

Next time.

DD


	10. Chapter 10

Redeeming the Daemon Final chapter " In the eyes of those that matter most."

Gendo sat in a five thousand dollar motorized wheelchair, looking out a large picture window, as the rain, and the wind raged outside. Gendo watched his own reflection in the mirror, as a lone taxi pulled into the driveway.

_Yet one more time, we play the game out. If only to pretend that hope exists for a happy ending. _

He gave a moments thought to leaving the chair, and meeting his son on his feet.

The moment passed, as he didn't have the strength.

_Medication. Keep you alive, at the cost of dignity._

The clock ticked slower than it should as Gendo waited.

Shinji walked from the cab to the door, and raised the large iron knocker.

_At least the driver agreed to wait. That's one good thing today._

The door opened before he had a chance to use the knocker. A middle aged butler, appeared in the door, and Shinji entered.

" May I take Sir's coat? "

" No, I don't think I'll be here that long. "

The butler looked sad; as he spoke.

" It does make Miss Rei; upset when Sir's visits are . . .short. "

" Yes, it does. "

Leaving the butler behind Shinji entered the library.

Looking around the room, he spotted first editions, original art, and relics that made the rooms worth more than his college.

The sound of electric motors made this father's approach known, and he felt his stomach knot.

" Hello, Shinji. I'm glad you came. Ritsuko is doing well, and you have a brother. Your Mother's anniversary is tomorrow. After, I was thinking we could . . . "

Shinji cut him off.

" Why am I here?"

Gendo looked confused.

" What? "

" This is the fourth time you've had Rei call me. The only time she ever calls me, is to come here. I make the trip all the way from Rome, you want to play at being a family."

Gendo's chair hummed as its motors came to life, turning the chair so that he could face his son.

"It has been four years."

"Since the end of the war, yes, I know. If this is about your will I don't want your money."

"Your trust fund was started by your mother, and intended for your education. It has been dissolved and the assets put towards charity work in Taiwan."

" Shinji, please look at me. "

Gendo raised his right arm revealing a stump where his hand once sat.

" Behold, Adam's final vengeance. I am not long for this world, Shinji."

Shinji; didn't blink.

" You have cancer, from implanting the first Angel into your hand. Misato gives me regular security updates, that, for some reason, includes how you're doing. "

The room was silent for what seemed like forever.

"Then you know that despite my wife's considerable abilities, and best efforts I am not long for this world. We have been apart too long Shinji, I asked Rei to call you here that we may make amends."

"You know how hard I've tried to contact Rei in the last four years. Letters, phone calls, and even the commander of NERV making a personal request for her to call me."

With the mention of Rei, Gendo's face softened slightly.

"The last few years have been difficult for her and though we have done our best to repair the mistakes of the past; Shinji, it is for her sake that I extend the olive branch"

The younger Ikari's face took on an angry look.

"You don't even let yourself see it, do you? That must be how you sleep at night."

"I write to Rei every other week for two years, and I get no response. I spent a month in Switzerland when you were on trial, spent half my college fund, Asuka almost ended our engagement, but Rei wouldn't even see me. Now she calls me and asks me here, because you want me to forgive you?"

"I don't hate you for what you did to me, father, I'm past caring about it. I hate you for what you did to her. Rei grew up with-out a chance to be anything other then your perfect soldier. I know when I walk out of here, Rei will be between the door; and me. I'm going to have to make her cry to get out of here, and I hate you for that too."

Shinji turned from his father, moving towards the door, pausing for a moment at the door.

"I don't expect that we will ever meet again, and I'm glad for that, at least."

Gendo sat in silence, as his first born son left, without further comment.

_The encounter was as successful as I though it would be. I knew the boy I abandoned would never forgive me for my transgressions; my last hope was that he'd grow into a man that might._

The older Ikari listened to the footsteps of the younger as he passed down the hall, and out of his life. Gendo lowered his head as the sound of raised voices echoed down the hall.

_Strange I birth something that nearly ends humanity, and I'm more concerned that divided offspring will be my legacy. _

The sound of a slamming door shook Gendo from his thoughts, and with a motion of his remaining hand, he began to pilot himself out of the library, towards the estate's main entrance.

"Rei, are you there?"

Over the humming of his chair's electric engines, Gendo made out the sounds of faint sobbing as he finally reached his goal. Rei stood facing the door, which hung open slightly allowing rain and hot muggy air to blow into the mansion.

"Rei, are you alright?"

In a hushed whisper she spoke as she turned.

"Yes, sir."

"We left NERV years ago Rei. It is unnecessary for you to call me that."

"I'm sorry, father."

Minutes passed as wind and rain blew freely though the door.

"He said that he was moving back to the city after the current school year ended, because it was too far from his loved ones. I asked him if that included you, he said no. I became angry."

"Your brother mentioned he'd tried to contact you for some time. Why have you not spoken to him before now?"

"It would …. have ended like this."

" Life is hollow, without family. I advise you to rethink your actions as I'm sure you're invited to his wedding. You cannot take back your actions Rei. A thing once done may not be undone."

"Even if you are sorry?"

"Only some times, child, if your mistake does not go on too long."

End


End file.
